Student reflection is without a doubt a practice that many teachers, new or experienced, struggle with starting, sustaining, and making the practice relevant and valuable for student learning. I recommend you start with the type of reflection in which you are interested. I divide the times to reflect into two categories: without a formal assessment and with a formal assessment. Then, I consider where students will record their reflections. Finally, I decide actions, for both the learners and myself, that will follow the reflection.
Reflection without formal assessment is a style of reflection that may seem more journal worthy. This type of reflection is a great place to start with students new to reflecting on their learning because the questions are less intimidating.
- What is something new I learned today?
- What do I still have questions on from today’s lesson?
- What do I feel most confident about from today’s lesson?
- What do I feel the least confident about from today’s lesson?
These reflection prompts are easily done at the end of class as an “exit slip” or in a learning journal. They can be private or shared with peers or the teacher. They can even be submitted anonymously. Remember, if the focus is on learning and you have created a culture with trust, learners are likely to want you to read their reflection.
Reflection with a formal assessment is a step that follows written individual feedback. Students are assessed, teacher feedback is shared, then students make meaning of that feedback and “process” it in a meaningful, purposeful way in hopes of clarifying the feedback, foster a culture of learning, and internalizing miscues to prevent them on future assessments.
While the following examples of sentence starters that facilitate this type of reflection below are geared for STEM classes, they can certainly be modified easily for Flower classes:
If you got the WHOLE problem right…
- I learned…
- I got the problem right because…
- I know how to...
If you got part of the problem right…
- It is still difficult for me…
- I should ask my teachers or my peers…
- I need help with...
If you got none of the problem right…
- I make mistakes on…
- I need to relearn…
- I need help with...
Another type of reflection with formal assessment is contingent upon the type of response a leaner gave on an assessment. These are similar in organization to the last set of prompts; however, they differ in two ways. First, they are in the form of a question asked by the teacher. And second, these questions are less about getting the “right answer” and more about understanding the concept. Although I have added to this list, the majority of these prompts are from Jeromie Heath (@TeachHeath).
If you’re wondering when teachers have time for students to reflect thoughtfully, it is a natural question. I have found that discussing a formal written assessment takes close to an entire 50-minute period. It may seem like a lot of time to spend going over a completed quiz or test, but it has become one of the best learning opportunities for my students. They see mistakes and successes all in one place, and I give them the time and space to reflect on both. In the beginning, when this process is unfamiliar to them, it will take longer, but eventually, it will become a smooth part of the learning experience.
In the end, reflection is a process that will improve with practice. It will seem uncomfortable and forced at the beginning. Make it a regular part of your classroom and, along with everything else you introduce, it will become a habit. The bonus is this habit will likely become something they do after they leave your class and head to the next.
Share you comments and thoughts below, email Aric and Megan at stemflowerlc@gmail.com or visit stemandflowerlearning.com.
STEM and Flower Learning Consultants
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