Reflective Writing Example Using Gibbs’
Reflective Cycle
The reflective statement below is a good example of a piece of reflective writing based on Gibbs’
reflective cycle.
Notes
Total word count is 775, so this is about 200-300 words longer than you need to write for Task 1
Question 1
The reference list states where this reflective writing sample came from. It does not relate to the
citations in the text body
The writer of this statement has included Harvard references to demonstrate that they have
researched the issues that they experienced
Description
The incident occurred in an evening class during which I was due to deliver my very first session. The class
tutor had been teaching the learners about fractions, and my task was to carry on with this, looking at how
to multiply two fractions. When I got to the white board, I became so nervous that I could not start speaking
to the group. I fumbled about with my papers and pens, and stumbled over my first sentence so that it did
not make sense. The students were quite understanding, as they are all mature students who are aware that
I am new to teaching and am nervous, but the class teacher snapped at me to stop being ridiculous. She
came up to the front of the classroom and took the lesson over from me, and I sat at the back of room trying
not to cry. I left the session as soon as the class was over and did not speak to anyone.
Feelings
I felt so miserable at the time that I considered leaving my teacher training course. I was embarrassed and
upset by my own inability to speak in front of the group, but I was also extremely angry with the class
teacher for snapping at me in front of the learners. I felt afterwards that she had not given me enough time
to gather my thoughts, and that she should have left me alone to get over my nerves. I was so mortified that
I rang in sick the following week, and it was only when I had calmed down that I decided I needed to speak
to the placement supervisor about this. I also realised later that it was perfectly natural to feel nervous, as I
am not used to speaking in public.
Evaluation
At the time, I did not feel that the situation had been resolved at all. I very deliberately left at the end of the
class without speaking to the class teacher or the learners. When I got home, I telephoned a fellow trainee
and he made me feel much better. I realised that everyone feels scared at first and probably stumbles
through their first few classes. This is clear in the relevant literature, as Greene (2014) explains, saying that
nine out of ten new trainee teachers found their first session “incredibly daunting” (p.43). It appears that
most trainee teachers have moments of being “tongue-tied” and “losing their way with the lesson” (Parbold,
2009, p.3).
Analysis
The situation was made worse by both my own actions and those of the class teacher. I feel that I should
have stood up to her rather than letting her take control of the lesson, and that I should have spoken to her
immediately after the lesson about how I was feeling. Dealing with situations like this immediately is
preferable, as Cooper (2011) points out. Instead, I spoke to my placement supervisor several days later, and
did not see the class teacher again until a formal meeting consisting of myself, the teacher and the
supervisor. Daynes and Farris (2013) say that, by not dealing with situations immediately and personally, and
instead taking it to an authority figure, the situation can be made worse. The class teacher could have felt
that she was being “ganged up on” (Thomas, 2015 p.22), which could lead to future problems.
Conclusion
In retrospect, I would do several things differently. I should have spoken to the class teacher immediately
after the session and voiced my opinions. I should also have been braver and stood up for myself so that I
retained control of the lesson. However, I think main thing I learned from the incident is that I had built up
no relationship whatsoever with the teacher in the preceding weeks, and that I should have made an effort
to do so. I would then have been able to explain how nervous I was beforehand.
Action Plan
In future, I will make sure to build up more of a relationship with colleagues. I am working alongside several
different teachers during my placement, and I will speak to each of them about my nerves. I have already
had a good conversation with one of them, and we have worked out a way of team-teaching for the next few
weeks so that I do not feel so pressurised. I need to do this with the other class teachers, as I cannot expect
them to understand how I feel if I keep quiet. I also need to speak to my fellow trainees more often about
how they feel, as I think I will be able to learn from them.
References
University of Cumbria, 2020. Gibbs' Reflective Cycle. [Online]
Available at: https://my.cumbria.ac.uk/media/MyCumbria/Documents/ReflectiveCycleGibbs.pdf
[Accessed 4 Jan 2024].
