The document discusses reflective writing in speech and language therapy (SLT). It provides examples of reflective writing prompts and assignments. It also reviews questions about the purpose and effectiveness of reflective writing. Reflective writing is meant to integrate professional learning, help professionals problem solve, and enhance on-the-job learning. It should clearly report an experience, discuss reasons for actions and outcomes, identify challenges and mistakes, and explore what was learned.

1. Reflective Writing in SLT
Examples of Reflective Writing in SLT
Review of Questions about Reflective Writing
What is Effective Reflective Writing?
Analysis of examples of Reflective Writing

2. EXAMPLES OF REFLECTIVE
WRITING IN SLT
Reflection on learning activities
This is a group assignment. You will be asked to
complete self- and peer-assessments. You will be
asked to rate how each of you contributed to:
• Determining content for presentation
• Developing PowerPoint for presentation
• Project management

3. Reflection on feedback / assessment
How did your organisation and the quality of your
written work influence the marking and
comments you received?
Were any comments made about the use of any
terms or words? Why were these comments
made? If not, name and discuss any terms/words
related to speech sound disorders that need
clarification?

4. Reflection on Clinical Practice
Each page to contain a self-reflection of competency
development per range of practice area over Years 1 & 2
• What are the most significant changes?
• Why are changes in competency development
occurring?
• Describe the evidence for this change?
• Describe the change you have observed in terms of
links to theory and placement support / learning
materials
• Describe your action for the future to further develop
your competency skills

5. REVIEW OF QUESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION
Reflective writing is something that SLT shares with a
range of professional training and development
programmes, including Social Work, Education,
Nursing, Management etc. Why is that?
• integrates professional principles and practice
• helps professionals deal with complexity
• enhances on-the-job learning

6. Reflective writing ability relates to several of
the CBOS Professional Competencies for SLT ….
… either directly:
3.1 Reflects on performance;
3.2 Structures own learning/professional development;
3.3 Demonstrates an appropriate attitude to learning;
3.4 Able to change performance.
… or indirectly:
1.1 Uses effective thinking skills to ensure quality speech
pathology practice;
4.4 Possesses a professional attitude/orientation;
7.4 Develops personal growth and professional identity
as a speech pathologist.

7. Research (and personal experience) tends to show that
reflective writing ability tends to lag behind other kinds
of writing - students who can write reports with their
eyes closed quite often perform remarkably poorly on
reflective writing tasks. Why is that?
• it requires critical thinking
• it involves focusing on areas of vulnerability
• it calls into question ‘comfortable’ beliefs and
practices

8. What do you think are the common weaknesses in
reflective writing that you need to avoid?
• describing (telling the story) of experiences –
without analysis
• wallowing in (or avoiding) self-criticism
• making claims about learning etc which are not
supported by evidence
• clumsily applying ‘rules’ (e.g. impersonality)
from other kinds of writing

9. WHAT IS EFFECTIVE REFLECTIVE
WRITING?
• Reports concisely and clearly a professional and /
or learning experience
• Discusses reasons for and effects of actions (by you
and/or others)
• Identifies and tries to explain challenges, problems
and mistakes
• Explores what you have learnt (about the specific
issue / professional knowledge and skills in general
/ about yourself)
• Considers questions arising from the experience –
including those which highlight gaps or
contradictions in your current understanding
and/or the principles / theory you are relying on
D
E
E
P
E
R

10. REFLECTIVE WRITING EXAMPLE 1
• How well did your organisation and the quality of your written work influence the
marking and comments you received?
I received 4 out of 5 marks for presentation, with an ‘excellent’
comment on my reference list and only one negative comment (on my
formatting of tables and figures). I interpret this as evidence that I am
progressing well in the formal aspects of SLT writing, though I need to
extend my knowledge of APA conventions for the presentation of data.
However, the overall B+ grade and comments that my analysis lacked
‘depth’ and ‘flow’ mean that I need to focus more on the
rhetorical, rather than the mechanical aspects, of my writing. From a
practical perspective, I attribute the weaknesses in my final draft to
rushing the ‘writing-up’ stage and restricting my revisions to surface
aspects of the text, rather than focusing more critically on the quality of
my argument. In retrospect, I also realise that not discussing or receive
feedback on my draft may account for the lack of depth and flow – at a
deeper level these are both manifestations of my lack of a clear sense of
engagement with the reader as I write and revise my text.

11. • Reports concisely and clearly a professional and /
or learning experience
I received 4 out of 5 marks for presentation, with
an ‘excellent’ comment on my reference list and
only one negative comment (on my formatting of
tables and figures).
….. However, the overall B+ grade and comments
that my analysis lacked ‘depth’ and ‘flow’ ……

12. • Discusses reasons for and effects of actions (by you and/or
others)
I interpret this as evidence that ….
……. mean that I need to
I attribute these ….. to
…… which may account for ……
• Identifies and tries to explain challenges, problems and
mistakes

13. • Explores what you have learnt (about the specific issue / professional
knowledge and skills in general / about yourself)
• Considers questions arising from the experience – including those
which highlight gaps or contradictions in your current understanding
and/or the principles / theory you are relying on
I’m progressing well in ……, though I need to extend
my knowledge of …..
I need to develop ‘deeper’ …….
In retrospect, I also realise that …
…. at a deeper level these are both manifestations
of ….

14. REFLECTIVE WRITING EXAMPLE 2
• What are the most significant changes?
• Why are changes in competency development occurring?
• Describe the evidence for this change?
• Describe the change you have observed in terms of links to
theory and placement support / learning materials
• Describe your action for the future to further develop your
competency skills
TASK
To what extent does the following example (from a Teaching
Placement Portfolio):
address the task?
represent effective reflective writing?

15. REFLECTIVE WRITING EXAMPLE 2
The most significant changes in my reading development competency were in
management of extensive reading (3.1), devising tasks for learner autonomy (3.5) and
integrating classroom reading into communicative lessons (3.7). These changes were
facilitated by the more supportive environment and greater access to resources in my
second placement. The supervising teacher spent time helping me to plan my
instructions and materials and also made very useful comments to me while I was
observing her practice (J1). The improved ratings in these categories provide quantitative
evidence of my progress – in particular, 3.5 was ‘below standard’ in two earlier
assessments, whereas in this placement, both lessons were rated ‘above standard’ on
this category (R1/R2). The supervisor’s reference to the ‘highly communicative’ quality of
my lessons provides further qualitative evidence for my development (S2/3). The role
which the supportive environment and mentoring have played in my learning during this
placement have made me realise that learning concepts such as Vygotsky’s (1978) Zone
of Proximal Development and Bruner’s (1978) Scaffolding, which I had previously only
thought of in relation to children’s learning are equally applicable to my own professional
growth. The experience also reinforced for me the value of the Maori concept of ‘Ako’
(Ministry of Education, 2008), in which teaching and learning are framed as one, holistic
process of personal and social growth. In future, therefore, I intend to be more
proactive in engaging with mentors and in identifying empowering links
between my own teaching and learning.

16. SUMMARY
• Treat reflective writing in the same way as other professional
competencies which you need to develop through
practice, guidance, example, feedback and experiment.
• Aim for a balance of factual, evidence-based description and
analytical writing
• Aim to make connections between specific
events, issues, contexts and the ‘bigger picture’ of SLT theory
and practice
• Bear in mind, that more than anything else, reflective writing is
supposed to be about LEARNING – and to be a learning
process
• So, the best way to check if you are doing it right is to ask
yourself, while you are doing it: Am I learning?
• Just as in clinical writing, aim for clarity and conciseness