Reflections on teaching observations and the use of a personal development journal in medical teacher education

Abstract

In this article, I reflect on the events and experiences that occurred during (and after) my studies for a Diploma in Teacher Education. The elements required for the award of Diploma included a professional development journal, a number of peer teaching observations and an action research project. At an early stage, I selected vaguely ‘peer teaching observation’ as the topic for my research. As the course progressed my journal began to contain an increasing amount of material relating to the teaching observations and finally the three components–journal, teaching observations and research project merged into one. Through a process of progressive focusing, the project was clarified and came to be about my role in the observation. I was surprised to find it became a very personal examination of myself in order that I could understand more fully the process of teaching observation. In the end, almost everything else diminished compared to the insights I gained about myself. I concluded that, for myself, perhaps a direct critical self-examination was too threatening and potentially painful to endure. However, by looking at myself as an observer of teaching then the very objectivity that was potentially so safe turned out to allow me to reflect on myself as a person. To become a reflective practitioner is not easy, yet the process can be intellectually engaging. © 2004, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.