Dialogue on 'reflecting on the self'

Reflection and reflective practice are vast areas for scholastic discussion and the author's paper 'Reflecting on the self: an experience in a preschool' concentrates on a specific aspect of these two themes. Using personal experiences, this paper highlights the importance of the 'spiritual self' as a focus for reflection. 'Self' is a complex construct, even among the various forms of self defined by James. Being the most private, the 'spiritual self' is perhaps the most challenging for teachers to confront. The author has thus proposed some strategies, such as distancing and self-observation, to aid in bringing issues to one's attention before the reflective process can take place. Conditions that facilitate self-reflection, such as open attitude and peer support, are also discussed. In 'A response to “Reflecting on the self”' Loughran has further developed several ideas in the author's paper. The notion of 'problem' often carries a misconception of something gone wrong; Loughran provides a balanced perspective of its conceptualization. The discussion on self-study provides further thoughts on the task of self-reflection. Copyright © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business.