A misstep is not the end of the dance: embracing the challenges of reflective practice

There are a number of claims about reflective practice that ought to be confronting for clinical educators. For example, that models of reflection are often taught by unreflective teachers. Embracing these claims, the author resolved to use the practices of Intentional Noticing - a form of reflective practice - to improve his reflective capabilities. Using a worked example, this paper outlines the features of Intentional Noticing, beginning with the interrogation of the phrase, 'I've got one if you want to hear it', spoken by a colleague working with a group of clinical supervisors. The paper addresses the author's subsequent failure to make such an invitational comment when the opportunity arose; the challenge of acting congruently with one's pedagogical values in the heat of the moment; exploring the perceived tension between 'inquiry learning' and didactic teaching; and eventually finding a way of managing this tension. The example underscores that reflection is hard and that teaching is never completely successful, but a never-ending process of investigating and trying out. The author found Intentional Noticing to be a useful way of studying his practice over time, of confronting the challenges of unreflective doing and of discovering new ideas to try out in the future.