Make your own reflective journal & gratitude station! (Secondary and FE)

Wednesday 17 September 2025 - noon - 1pm
Students' Union front room, Arthur Edwards building, Stratford

Your PGCE journey is just beginning, and so is your reflective journal, a key part of your course and a chance to capture your growth, thoughts, and experiences along the way. As a PGCE student, you’ll be expected to engage in regular reflection throughout your training year—and your reflective journal will be a vital tool in helping you do that. 

Join us for a relaxed, creative session where you’ll get the chance to personalise your reflective journal and make it into something meaningful, both as a practical tool and a keepsake from your training year. This session is your opportunity to create and personalise your own journal.

During this session, you’ll: 

  • Receive a plain cover physical journal book (or bring your own if you prefer) 

  • Use a range of craft materials to decorate and personalise it 

  • Explore prompts and ideas to help you get started with reflective writing 

  • Connect with your peers in a relaxed, creative environment 

We’ll provide everything you need - from washi tape and markers to prompts and examples - so you can walk away with a journal that’s ready to support you throughout your PGCE year. 

This is a dedicated part of your induction, designed to help you approach reflection as a valuable and enjoyable part of your journey into teaching. 

Gratitude Station 

As you begin your journey into teaching, take a quiet moment to reflect on the people who helped get you here—the teacher who believed in you, the friend who encouraged you, the family member who never let you give up. 

At our gratitude station, you’ll have the chance to write a personal letter to someone who inspired you to pursue this path. Either do this separately or use your first few pages of your new journal to record these thoughts! Whether you choose to send it, keep it in your journal, or just write it for yourself, this is a space to pause and connect with your why

We’ll provide: 

  • Letter-writing materials (stationery, envelopes, pens, prompts) 

  • A quiet, calming space for reflection and writing 

  • Time to slow down before the next part of your day 

This is an optional, drop-in style activity following your reflective journal session—but one we think you’ll find meaningful and grounding as you step into the year ahead.