As the academic year of 2023-24 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the journey and experiences we have had. This post outlines 10 ways to reflect on the past months, not just for students but also for teachers. We encourage both students and teachers to engage in these exercises together and share their insights with us. We look forward to hearing from you!
Feel free to leave a comment reflecting on any aspect of this school year that resonates with you. Use the following questions as prompts to guide your reflection:
We also encourage you to respond to the reflections of others. Our staff will moderate the comments, and we are excited to learn from your experiences.
Students and teachers, read our
related list of reflection ideas
from which the questions below are drawn and then answer any of them that resonate with you. Please identify yourself as a teacher or a student when you post.
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What do you want to remember about this school year? Why?
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What are you especially grateful for this year? To whom would you most like to write a letter of gratitude if you could?
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What surprised you?
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What successes are you most proud of?
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What challenged you? What helped you face or overcome those challenges?
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What did you learn that most matters to you, whether in or out of school?
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What new skills, however small, did you acquire?
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How have you grown — as a student, a friend, a community or family member or a person?
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How could you build on that growth next year?
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What would you like more of in your life? What would you like less of? Why?
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What music would be on a soundtrack of the 2023-24 school year for you? Why?
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What books did you read this year that you would recommend to others? Why?
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About what, if anything, did you change your mind? How did that happen?
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If you were to collect and graph some data about your life this school year, what would you choose to graph, and what do you think it might show? What could you learn from it?
Students aged 13 and above in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are encouraged to share their thoughts. All comments will be moderated by the Learning Network staff before being made public, and may even appear in print.
Explore more Student Opinion questions and teachers can utilize this guide to incorporate these prompts in the classroom.