Reflective spaces for English language teachers

Abstract

On a recent visit to a botanic garden in Perth, Australia, I spent some time at its Place of Reflection. The latter is a small garden opened in 2011 with the purpose of providing victims of trauma and visitors in general with a space in which they can find solace and engage in meditation. The garden consists of a number of sheltered recesses connected by wooden boardwalks and is screened off by rust-covered metal sheets with intricate designs incised into them. While seated on a solitary bench in each recess, visitors can admire the thick foliage around them and look out over Swan River at the foot of the hill on which the garden is situated. As someone who helps university students to enhance their reflective abilities through writing, I consider it admirable that a major city has designed a space for its citizens’ reflection. The Place of Reflection made me think about the spaces that novice teachers can use in order to reflect on their students’ learning, as well as on their own beliefs, practices, and well-being.