Mirror, mirror and the wall: seeing the problematics of doing reflection in the English language arts classroom as a gesture towards a minor literature of education

Abstract

In this thesis I propose that, as part of subjectifying processes operating within schools, reflection in English Language Arts can be understood as both liberatory and/or enslaving depending on the degree to which it orients students' experiences toward difference and their own plural becomings or binds them within the confines of more limited ways of knowing. Illuminating this distinction, I propose that we must begin our investigation into reflection by examining the context within which it takes place. This context is not neutral but rather actively participates in constructing the im/possibilities of student reflection itself. I propose a distinction between school learning spaces and human learning environments as a way to explore how discourse and our wider culture influence reflection in theory and in my own experiences as a teacher. Attempting to move beyond traditional limits, this thesis theorizes an/other understanding of reflection that situates liberatory reflective practices in relation to ethics and social justice education.