I am always looking for new ways to make reflection something to not be dreaded. The first time I told my students that reflection was going to be an important part of our year, I heard a number of groans. I think this happened for two reasons:
1. This has usually been a dull process of silent writing
2. They are under the impression that the reflection process is for the teacher, not for them
I made it a goal this year for my students to see that reflection was for them, and that it can take multiple forms.
I am still working on having my students appreciate their own reflection process, but I think I have made strides, particularly when it comes to the report card reflections.
The two main forms of reflection I have used this year with my students include video reflections and google forms. These have both worked well, but I must say I am on the hunt for more ideas to add to the mix.
Today I received what I think was a fantastic idea from the lovely teachers at Victoria Albert School. While having us do an instant challenge in their MakerSpace, they went around taking photos of us working. This is something a lot of us teachers do. Sometimes we then post these photos to class blogs or social media, but often the photos end up in some folder and never looked at again. They then used the photos they took to lead us through some reflection. As we looked at the photos, they asked us to look for signs of the 6 C's (critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, character, communication, citizen). We had a really good reflective discussion where we commented on each other's body language and pointed out evidence of the C's.
I think this is an activity that will resonate well with my students. They love looking at the photos I take throughout the day, and now we can look through them with intention and with a greater purpose. It's also a great way to start encorporating the 6 C's into my classroom.