Page 245 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Part 3: Meditate

Throughout our life, we keep changing our identity; it’s not a fixed thing.
Real change happens at the level of our personal identity. Change is a
choice—it is intentional (Bodell, 2012). The important learning here is that
it is entirely possible to modify ourselves to be more aligned with who we
want to be (Costa & Garmston, 2016) and with our emerging self. Everyone
has the potential to extend their capacity and become more flexible.
We are ready to change when we can look forward with ambition and hope
and leave behind cynicism and judgment. We are ready to change when we
listen in order to understand rather than listening to respond. We are ready
to change when we seek cognitive conflict (new information that challenges
our beliefs), embrace divergent thinking (seeking as many solutions as
possible), and push the limits of our thinking to open up horizons instead
of building walls to protect our ideas.

Forms of Self-Reflection

There are many different forms of self-reflection. You might adopt a formal
self-reflection cycle (through your appraisal cycles, at the end of every teaching
unit you complete, by using tools and strategies such as thinking routines
every week, and so on); or you might be more casual in your process by striving
to reflect when you feel a need or by doing self-reflecting so often that you
develop an automatic mindset that becomes part of everything you do.
In yoga, you must be open to the challenge of each individual pose and also
be willing to let go of your expectations of what you might accomplish or do.
The same is true for self-reflection. We need to acknowledge our limitations
and feelings, but also, in recognizing that vulnerability, cultivate the will
to learn. Reflection is metacognitive; it’s an inner process of thinking about
our thinking! As we question and observe ourselves thinking, we make
mental realizations about things we like or don’t like about our teaching and
learning and can then decide ways to modify ourselves to be a better version
of ourselves. For example, at the end of a unit, when we self-reflect and realize
that there were things that didn’t go well, instead of ignoring these things
and moving on, we can explore this vulnerability and understand the causes

158 Stretch Yourself

Stretch Yourself: A Personalized Journey to Deepen Your Teaching Practice 245