Personal Development

Reflective Practice

Think. Learn. Grow.
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Gibbs
Models
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Guided reflection

Work through each stage of the Gibbs cycle for any experience.

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What are you reflecting on?

The Gibbs reflective cycle

A structured way to learn from experience. Tap a stage to explore it.

Select a stage above
Tap any of the six stages to see the guiding question and what to think about.

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988) was developed by Graham Gibbs to support experiential learning. It provides a structured sequence of questions that guide you from describing what happened, through analysis, to planning future action. It is one of the most widely used models in professional development because of its clear, accessible structure.

Reflective models

Three different frameworks, each with a different approach. Tap to expand.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988)

6 stages – structured and sequential
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Graham Gibbs designed this cycle to help people learn systematically from experience. It is particularly useful for apprentices because it turns everyday work situations into structured learning opportunities.

1
Description

What happened? Describe the situation factually, without judgement.

2
Feelings

What were you thinking and feeling at the time and afterwards?

3
Evaluation

What was good about the experience? What was not so good?

4
Analysis

Why did things happen the way they did? What sense can you make of it?

5
Conclusion

What else could you have done? What have you learnt?

6
Action plan

If it happened again, what would you do? What specific steps will you take?

Schon's Reflective Practice (1983)

Reflection in and on action
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Donald Schon identified two types of reflection. His model is less about following stages and more about developing a reflective mindset throughout your work. It is particularly useful for thinking about how you respond in the moment.

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Reflection-in-action

Thinking and adjusting in real time, while something is happening. For example, noticing mid-conversation that your explanation is not landing and changing your approach on the spot.

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Reflection-on-action

Thinking back after the event to understand what happened, why you made the decisions you did, and what you would do differently. This is the most common form of deliberate reflection.

The key idea: Expert practitioners do not just follow rules. They develop an ability to read situations and adjust constantly. Reflection is how that expertise is built.

Driscoll's "What?" Model (1994)

3 questions – simple and memorable
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John Driscoll adapted an earlier model into three simple questions. It is the most accessible of the three models and is especially useful for quick, regular reflection after everyday tasks.

1
What?

What happened? Describe the event, task, or situation. Stick to the facts.

2
So what?

What does it mean? How did it affect you? What did you learn about yourself or the situation?

3
Now what?

What will you do differently? What action will you take as a result of this reflection?

When to use it: Use the "What? So what? Now what?" sequence for quick daily or weekly reflections. Its simplicity means you can use it in your head after any task, meeting, or interaction.

Saved reflections

Your completed reflections are stored here.

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Download my reflections

Export all your saved reflections as a text file you can save and refer back to.