Journaling for Learning and Transformation

09/01/2022

Journaling for Learning and Transformation

It is quite true what philosophy says that life must be understood backwards. But above that, one forgets the second sentence, that it must be lived forward.
Søren Kierkegaard, Philosopher, 1813-1855

In a conversation between fellow educators Margie Carter and Kelly Ramsey, Ramsey shares, “In thinking about my professional learning over three decades, I learned about how my personal life and professional life are one in the same. All of who I am has been embodied through my human experiences as a learner and pioneer, discovering new ways of bringing our whole self to the path we take. What if we created a new definition of reflective journaling as the process of capturing our lives in periods of time and revisiting our thoughts through the lens of discovery, as a reflective practitioner?”

Ramsey’s ‘What if…’ forms the basis of the newest Exchange Reflections on “Journaling for Learning and Transformation.”

Among the journal entries she shares, Ramsey notes the following quote:
“When teachers become thoughtful, competent decision makers they join leadership in transforming and advancing the profession.”

She reflects, “This quote was my inspiration as I returned to my program. It reminded me that supporting teachers as ‘thoughtful, competent decision makers’ was the catalyst for lasting change. As a leader, I modeled reflective practice and inquiry-based learning for the teacher. In this process, the teachers were centered as learners and collaborators with the children in their classrooms. Together, teachers and children were discovering and establishing spaces for wonder and curiosity. This is the joy of weaving our lives together and writing our stories.”

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