I rediscovered the above quote recently while reading the literature around learning theory, having first come across it over twenty years ago when I included it in my BA Fine Art dissertation (entitled ‘The Philosophy of Utopian Architecture’). The quote thematically encapsulates my outlook on my professional work within the creative industries, and my identity as an ‘illustration-educator’, but it also resonates with my teaching philosophy; my core beliefs and values about the power of education; what it can offer and to whom.

Good summary of the four lenses which i am using for reflection to structure my writing:

Reflective model according to Brookfield
 
The basis for this reflective model is the consideration of a situation from different vantage points. Once you have experienced a situation, which you need to learn from, you need to take a step back and consider this situation through what Brookfield calls “lenses”: the autobiographical lens, the students’ view, the colleagues’ view and the theoretical lens.
 
Personal lens:
Think about the situation in relation to your own previous experiences and your current reactions and feelings. Consider how your personal story and past may have shaped your view of what happened or may have resulted in unwanted physical and emotional reactions and responses.
 
Students’ views:
Try to put yourself in your students’ shoes and review the situation by looking at what happened through their eyes. Consider their reactions and how their stories may have led to the experiences. Also, think about how they have experienced the same situation. You may even be able to include students in your reflections by talking to them about what happened or by offering a system of written feedback.
 
Colleagues’ views:
At this stage you are asked to include the views of your colleagues in your reflections. Their experiences and their observations of your work may offer you new insights into what happened and what you can do to improve your work.
 
Theoretical lens:
In order to make sense of your experiences and in order to improve your practice you need to consult literature. Theories will help you gain new insights and better understanding. At this stage you need to relate your reading to the three other lenses in order to get a full view. This will then help you to think of new steps to take and of how you can apply theory to your practice.

https://www.nicole-brown.co.uk/reflective-model-according-to-brookfield/

This book articulates much of what I have been looking for in terms of illustration education, and learning theory. It is great to find a contemporary book (newly published) that links to a conference and has given me access to other illustrator educators- which I am sure will prove invaluable in the ever-changing  and rapidly evolving field of illustration, and how it is taught in Higher Education!

This ruleset is hung in the illustration studio offices. I relate to this very much and is a good reminder of how teaching can be inspired. Here below I redesigned the layout using Indesign of the rules set by Cortia Kent / John Cage.

Books:
Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher by Stephen Brookfield
The Reflective Practitioner by Donal Schon
Reflective Practice by Gillie Bolton
​Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
Illustration Research Methods by Kingston University
​Learning by Heart Cotia Kent