Last week I started a new course at Simon Fraser University, called Exploring Arts for Social Change  taught by Judith Marcuse and Dr. Lynn Fels.

I remember upon leaving the class last Wednesday that my thoughts were, “God, this is different!” I said that apprehensively but also with curiosity. If feels to me that there is nothing traditional about this course and it is a real test in one’s capability in being open-minded. We (thirty of us + the two teachers) sit in a circle, we make sounds, moves, and sometimes have to touch another body– re-position it into an image in our mind. There were a lot of performance-based exercises last week which for me was at times difficult. But “I survived, I did it.” is what I told myself at the end of it. I may be an introvert but I did it and it wasn’t so bad after all.

One of our weekly assignments is to write an e-postcard to both teachers that records and reflects on a stop moment of your experiences and learning in each class. Both of the teachers read the cards, and one of them replies.

I’m going to try and share these e-postcards for as long as is comfortable. I think this reflection exercise is a great way to learn about yourself and analyze your feelings about why you feel the way you do. It is a great process to practice as a teacher, one that I was introduced to when doing my certificate to teach English as a second language.

You will need to click the image to be able to read it.

Do you use this reflection method with your teaching? What do you think about it?