We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.
– John Dewey

Tchiki Davis, Ph.D., in an article in Psychology Today, writes about the relationship between self-reflection and wellness:

“So many of our habits, patterns of behavior, and pre-set programming are buried in our subconscious. They operate in a sort of ‘control room’, directing how we think, feel, and act, often times hurting our well-being…

“If we want to be in control, we need to see into the ‘control room’, beyond the conscious mind, and change some of the programming we no longer benefit from. One way to access the unconscious is through self-reflection—i.e., putting a mirror up to ourselves and analyzing what we see or feel as objectively as possible so that we can better understand ourselves and how we think, feel, and behave.”

Early childhood educators have long known the value of reflection (thinking deeply about why we do what we do in our professional practice). It is one reason Exchange Press developed the Exchange Reflections tool to encourage deep discussion and contemplation, and Exchange Essentials, article collections that help us look at a particular topic from multiple perspectives.