Well here we are at another end to the school year. Another year has passed and your time with your students is coming to a close. This is a fantastic time to help your students to reflect on their year and to think about all the different experiences they’ve had, learning they’ve acquired, and skills they’ve honed and developed. Reflection gives students an opportunity to think through the year and it’s a great way to bring their thoughts together and bring closure to the school year.
Here are 8 questions you can ask your students. These questions can be easily adjusted to suit the specific age/stage of your students.
- What were your most memorable experiences this year?
- What was your favourite event/excursion/field trip/performance this year?
- Write down 5 interesting things you’ve learned this year.
- What lesson did you enjoy the most?
- In what area do you feel you have improved the most?
- What is the piece of work you have done this year?
- What are you most proud of this year?
- What have you learned about yourself this year?
- What’s one thing you would like to do differently this year?
- What’s one good thing that happened this year that you didn’t expect?
Students can present their reflections in whatever way you choose – present a one minute talk, draw a picture, make a slide show on the computer etc. Whatever way you choose, this reflection process is a enjoyable and important consolidation process for your students. You’ll notice how much they get out of taking some time to review their year.
Enjoy the journey,
And more importantly,
Enjoy the moments.
🙂
Megan
P.S. Next week, I will be giving you 5 questions YOU can ask to reflect on your year. Stay tuned.
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My students are leaving primary school to begin a new chapter in their lives at High School. This year we have organised to cook a breakfast/brunch together: bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes, juice, milk. We’ll spend the first 2 hours of our last day chatting about the future and reflecting on our year together.
This is brilliant Christine. Thanks for sharing.
Each year my class and I discuss all the things that we have learnt and the experiences we have had over the year. We laugh about the funny moments and we discuss individual achievements. Afterwards I give my students some lined paper and ask them to write a piece titled, ‘The Best Thing About Being in 4B 2013’. They can write it in any text genre they choose. When it’s completed I photocopy their work and create a bound book for myself to keep and the kids take home their copy. I use these books to reflect on the year and my teaching and to remind me to keep going during the ‘tough days’. I sometimes read some of the children’s reflections at the beginning of the next year to excite my new class and give them an idea of what to expect.
Diahnn, this is a fabulous idea. How wonderful for both you and the students to have a reflective piece for the year.