Reflection. The inner world of the educator can be seen within the so-called “Astral Corridors of Thought” of the AMALIMWC website. Here, the Narrative Reflections Page functions as the entrance to the shore line at dawn of the thought of the educator. In this space the reflection meets the memory of the events experienced by the educator. His insights are cherished in this particular space. His deepest thoughts are spread out in this special corner of the AMALIMWC website where with utmost sensitivity and greatest depth the currents of life are analyzed. In this space the educator reflects upon his experiences in order to see through them. He looks at the moments of his life and also at the emotions which he went through. He analyzes the architecture of the events that took place.
The writers in this space of Narrative Reflections practice a unique art. That of holding a moment long after it has passed and reflecting on it much like one would hold a fragile seashell and turn it now and then to admire its lines and to hear the echoes that linger within its hollows. Looking back on moments and on experiences in the space of Narrative Reflections allows for much insight to unfold, slowly just as the flowers of the desert unfold after a rare rain. Each of the writings here function as contemplative lanterns, casting light upon the inner spaces where one’s personal experiences intermingle with their professional self and with the wider cultural spaces in which they live and work as an educator.
Within the structure of the AMALIMWC website, the Narrative Reflections Page plays a very specific role. The Story‑Driven Essay Page explores the use of narrative as analysis. The Creative Nonfiction Page celebrates truth that has been fashioned by the writer’s use of imagination. The Memoir Page contains memory that has been transformed into meaning. The Leadership Pieces Page provides a glimpse into the reflective practice of a leader and the way in which that leader’s identity has been shaped. The Narrative Reflections Page is the meditative center of the website. It is here that the educator can go to read the reflective writings of another. It is here that the reader can experience the contemplative practice of an educator.
The reflections offered within this space of online sharing vary greatly, even greatly exceed, the mere moment that sparked the thoughts, memories, experiences and learning reflected herein. Sometimes the moment is very slight; a student’s shy smile, the unexpected gesture of kindness from a colleague, the silence of a community to ponder and share. Often the reflections on these experiences lead to deeper exploration of leadership, culture and the human experience. Many moments recalled are also ones of great difficulty and how these too can serve as learning experiences. There are also moments of great simplicity and beauty that define the moments and lessons of a school year or of a single day in the classroom. All serve to describe the inner world of a teacher – of you.
Reflective writing uses a number of literary devices which contribute to the higher quality of language on this page. Some moments are depicted in all their positive light, such as happiness shimmering like sunlight on water. Other moments are viewed from a negative perspective yet still retain a soft and delicate quality. The writer’s attempts to understand the neutral and curious moments are depicted in a very positive light, such as in the scattering of many colors of chalk in a sunny classroom. These varied perspectives and the resulting wide range of literary devices have led me to form the opinion that the level of language on this page is that of high quality and is artistically reflective.
There is something distinct within the AMALIMWC structural identity in the way the Narrative Reflections Page upholds meaning through narrative. None of the writings on this page portray the educator as some remote figure, with complete command over classroom circumstances, The educator is shown here as fully human, a thinker, a feeling person, an observer of the human experience. He or she is deeply embedded in the space of the educator, deeply rooted in AMALIMWC’s cultural competence and community-based engagement.
The AMALIMWC website is fortified by the Narrative Reflections Page as the anchor for contemplation. It augments the others—Story‑Driven Essay Page, Creative Nonfiction Page, Memoir Page and Leadership Pieces Page—each one uniquely providing depth to one specific aspect. It is the inner reflective space that contains the feedings of the soul that become the substance and essence of a reflective educator. In this way, AMALIMWC’s website pages are not isolate areas but are in constant interplay and interaction among themselves.
Thus, the Narrative Reflections Page functions as the quiet voice of AMALIMWC – inner world of an educator explored and appreciated herein, contemplation transformed to insight within these pages and the educator’s experience shared to gain from within the community. Moreover, one is also challenged to appreciate reflection not merely as an activity to indulge in but to transform as well as to deepen one’s insight, strengthen one’s leadership and enable one to reach a better educational mission within the cultural and community contexts which one serves.
As this website continues to evolve, the Narrative Reflections Page will remain the educated heart of AMALIMWC’s online presence. Newly added pieces of writing will be as rich, nuanced, and powerful as the others, no doubt increasing the depth of the resource of your reflections as an experienced, formally educated educator and writer. The website as a whole shall continue to grow in terms of depth and value, eventually becoming an even more robust body of work than it already is—above all, a resource reflecting the deepest aspects of human thought and experience.
The Reflections page is beautiful, AMALIMWC is a space that affirms the notion that wisdom is mostly created in silence and AMALIMWC’s narrative reflections serve as a gateway and/or portal to delve into every thought, decision, challenge, and even success of the life of the educator whose voice resonates throughout the structure of this website.
