You know that expression that says “everything is not all about you”? Well, in this case, it really is all about you.
As the end of the year approaches, I am near the end of another teaching semester. This is the point in the semester where I assign reflective exercises to my students.
Did you know that reflection is one of the most important components of the learning process?
“We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” ~John Dewey
Reflection has an important role in how you retain, process and interact with information. What are your strengths? What skills can be improved? What progress have you made? What are the next steps?
“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” ~Mark Van Doren
Research has shown that setting aside some time to reflect on your life and work definitely has an affect on performance.
Taking the time to reflect can help you remember your achievements and pave the way for your learning accomplishments going forward.
I am always encouraging my friends, husband, and mentees to keep a tracking log of each accomplishment on the job. Did an attorney praise your work product? Did you improve an end result? Did you learn a new process or software feature that you were able to put into action right away?
Have you ever been asked to do a self-evaluation near the time when annual reviews are coming up, but you stare at the screen with a blinking cursor because you can't remember all of the great contributions you made to the team over the last year? You can't forget to give yourself some credit.
Have you been staying up to speed on the compelling discussions in the legal industry regarding the ethical duty of technology competence? It spans to the entire legal team. If not, check out these google search results.
If I asked you how you feel about your legal technology skill sets, what would your answer be? Are you satisfied that you use legal technology efficiently? Do you feel stuck, overwhelmed or frustrated?
I want to encourage you to reflect on the past few years and then reflect on your future. When was the last time you invested in yourself and your career path? The thing is, you are in total control of your future.
I am a life long learner and I want to persuade you to be one as well.
I have often told people that “I help others realize what they are capable of.”
What are you capable of? Maybe you don't really know (yet). Want to find out?
Is there something new that you learned this year?
Is there an achievement that you are most proud of?
Did you grow, on a personal level, through learning this year?
My goal here is to jumpstart your thought process about your career and self-accomplishments. I look forward to giving you a high five in the new year! I hope to hear from you.
“One of the first things I remember saying about Amy's teaching style is that she always has your back. You get the feeling when Amy is teaching you, that she is invested in seeing you succeed. In my opinion, knowing that someone is confident in you helps you succeed faster and learn things easier. Her calm demeanor and patience are unparalleled with anyone I have ever learned from. Amy's unique style of teaching has helped me tremendously and encourages me to keep going as a student. At the end of everyday with Amy, I feel like I am that much closer to achieving my goals.” ~Shera Berini