Your Reflective Journal | Course 211

Why Reflective Practice Matters

Understand the purpose of reflective journaling in this course
Learn about the two types of reflections you will use
Explore prompts to guide your reflective writing
Discover how your journal becomes part of your portfolio

Reflective practice is central to professional growth in Mediation and Family Dispute Resolution.

Clinical supervision and reflective learning both rely on the ability to pause, think about practice experiences, and consider how learning can be applied in future situations.

Throughout this course, you will be encouraged to maintain a reflective journal. This journal provides a space to record insights, questions, and observations as your understanding of supervision develops.

Reflection helps practitioners:

Deepen professional insight
Recognise patterns in practice
Strengthen ethical awareness
Integrate theory with real-world experience
Develop their own supervision philosophy

Your journal is therefore a personal learning tool, not simply an assessment task.

Two Types of Reflection in This Course

During the course you will use two different types of reflective notes.

1. Practice Circle Reflection Template

You will use a structured template after participating in Supervision Circles or practice sessions.

This template helps you reflect on:

The supervision process
Feedback received or provided
Supervision skills observed or practised
Learning points from the session

These reflections help build evidence for your Portfolio of Competence. You can locate the template in the Course Files or in the Appendix of your Course Companion Guide.

2. Personal Reflective Journal

In addition to structured reflections, you are encouraged to keep a general reflective journal throughout the course.

Your journal can include reflections on:

Course concepts that resonate with your practice
Supervision conversations or insights from discussions
Ethical dilemmas or professional challenges
Observations about your developing supervision style
Questions you would like to explore further

Your journal can be written in a diary-style format or using the reflection prompts below.

This journal is primarily for your own professional development, although you may later select reflections to include in your portfolio.

Suggested Reflection Prompts

You may find it helpful to reflect on questions such as:

What ideas from this module stood out to me?
How does this relate to my current professional practice?
What challenges might arise when applying this concept?
What new questions has this learning raised for me?
What would I like to explore further in supervision?

Reflective Journal Entry Example

Module 1 Reflection: The concept of the Tripod Model really shifted my thinking about what supervision actually is. I'd always seen it more as a management tool, but reading about the Learning, Accountability, and Wellbeing functions has helped me realise supervision is much broader. I'm curious about how I balance these three elements when I facilitate sessions — do I tend to favour one over the others? I'll watch for this in the practice circles.

Confidentiality Reminder

When writing reflections about practice experiences:

Do not include client names or identifying information
Refer to cases in general terms
Maintain professional confidentiality at all times

This ensures that reflective learning remains ethical and professionally responsible.

Storing Your Journal

You can keep your reflective journal in several ways:

Electronically in your personal portfolio (stored in Canvas Files — we don't have access to view it)
In a physical notebook that you keep private
Using a word processor and saving to your portfolio folder

Choose whichever format feels most natural for your reflection practice.

Key Message

Reflective practice develops over time.

Your journal is a space to capture learning, notice patterns, and deepen your professional insight as a supervisor. There is no "right" way to do it — your reflections are a conversation with yourself about your developing practice.

Check Your Understanding: The Purpose of Reflective Journaling

Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of maintaining a reflective journal in this course?

To provide a formal assessment task that counts toward your final grade
To create a personal learning tool that helps you deepen insight, recognise patterns, and develop your supervision philosophy
To document evidence of supervision sessions that will be shared with your manager
To record detailed case studies of clients you have worked with

Correct! While some reflections may later be selected for your portfolio, the primary purpose of the reflective journal is your own professional development. It's a space for you to think through your practice, notice patterns, and develop deeper insight into your emerging supervision style. The journal is primarily for you, not primarily for assessment.

Not quite. While reflections can become evidence for your portfolio, and you may share some reflections in assessment, the reflective journal is primarily a personal learning tool for your own development. It's not about formal grading, documenting cases with identifying details, or sharing with management. Review the section "Why Reflective Practice Matters" and think about how reflection supports your professional growth as a supervisor.

Tip: Start your first journal entry today. Write about your expectations for this course, what you hope to gain from learning about reflective supervision, and any concerns or questions you have. This becomes a baseline you can reflect back on at the end of the course.