EOY: Self-reflection with your students

by: Amanda Burke | 2024

As the school year is winding down to a close, now is the perfect time to engage in some self-reflection with your students. We'd love for you to do this in the form of a conversation that you have while writing the session report together. 

Of course, you're also welcome to reflect in other ways, such as:

  • A written journal prompt (open-ended or scaffolded questions) that your student responds to in session

  • Making a mind map, vision board, collage, or art piece

  • Using apps and online tools outside of session, like mood trackers or journaling apps

Whatever method you choose, the goal is for your students to be able to pause, look back on their experiences this year, and gain valuable insights that can shape how they move forward in the future.

What's that process look like?

  • Start by asking open-ended questions about their overall experience, achievements, challenges, and personal growth throughout the school year (you can use some of the ideas below)

  • Encourage them to share their thoughts, insights, and emotions verbally and/or in writing.

  • Actively listen, provide feedback, and ask follow-up questions to deepen their reflection.

  • Together, capture their reflections in the session report, creating a tangible record of their thoughts.

I need some ideas for questions!

The Basics

  • What goals did I set for myself at the beginning of the school year?

  • How have I progressed toward those goals?

  • What obstacles did I encounter along the way, and how did I overcome them?

  • Have my priorities shifted throughout the year, and if so, why?

  • How do I define success for myself?

  • How well did my goals and efforts align with my values?

  • What might I want to do differently next year?

If you'd like to do deeper reflection, you can also pull ideas from some of the following categories. Please adjust the language to suit your students' needs, goals, and age level.


Metacognition questions

  • What were some of the strategies and supports that helped me learn best this year?

  • What are my strengths and growing edges in different areas of my learning?

  • What kind of feedback have I gotten from trusted peers, teachers, and loved ones about my work?

  • How can I incorporate regular self-assessment and reflection into my study routine in the year ahead?

  • How has self-awareness contributed to my overall growth and engagement as a learner?


Challenging Power and Privilege

  • This past year, how did I educate myself and others about issues of social justice, inequity, and systemic oppression?

  • How have I actively challenged or questioned the systems of power and privilege within my life?

  • How have I used my privilege to advocate for marginalized communities and challenge systemic barriers?

  • In what ways have I helped create an equitable, accessible, and validating learning environment for myself and my peers?


Community Engagement and Support

  • How have I connected with community and supported others this year?

  • What steps have I taken to advocate for social change within my school community?

  • What's something I learned from someone in my community who is different from me?


Well-being and Self-compassion

  • How have I resisted the pressure to define my worth based on academic achievements or external validation?

  • How have I practiced self-care and self-compassion in the face of stress or academic demands?

  • How can I balance my different goals and needs during the summer?

  • What are some intentions I can set that prioritize my holistic well-being?


Personal Growth

  • Have I developed any new habits or perspectives this year? How have they impacted my learning journey?

  • Was there a specific moment or experience that challenged my beliefs or expanded my understanding?

Okay...now what do we do with those answers?

  • Use their reflections as a basis for setting new goals (for the summer or beyond). Ask them what they would like to achieve, learn, or explore during this time. Encourage them to think beyond academics and include personal growth, hobbies, community care, and self-care in their goals.

  • Help students refine their objectives based on their self-assessment and identify specific actions they can take to work towards those goals.

  • Support them in creating a plan that is realistic, achievable, and aligned with their aspirations. Break things down into steps and figure out a timeline. 

  • Help them consider potential obstacles and brainstorm support strategies

  • Remind students that self-reflection is an ongoing process. Encourage them to continue reflecting regularly, whether it's weekly, monthly, or at key milestones throughout the year. Emphasize the importance of self-awareness and the role it plays in their personal and academic growth.

How do I incorporate some of this stuff into my final session report?

Here are some great examples from some of our staff!

SHORT REFLECTION EXAMPLE from Ayisha F.

"For K’s last session of the school year, we checked in about proud moments from the year, anxieties that we gained more skill sets to grapple with, and how he feels moving into this next school year. A proud moment for Kiki was participating in his first school walkout! Woohoo, Berkeley tradition. An anxiety we worked through together was the anxiety he feels around grades at school. While he still feels anxious going into this new year, having a check in once a week about school/grades/work has been really helpful, and we agreed to include more time to check in during our sessions next school year. Kiki is such a curious and sweet kid; it is such a joy to meet with him once a week and I’m so glad we have been able to work and build trust together for 2 school years now!"

SHORT REFLECTION EXAMPLE from Tuzo M.

It's been an absolute honor working with you this year, Elijah. Despite all of the things that you may be going through, I never once felt that you didn't care about doing your best with our time together. From the beginning, anytime you got your work done and told me you'd done it, and I would gas you up, you'd do a little smile. That's super huge, man. Over the school year, you've taken more control over what work you want to do, gotten organized about looking ahead, set reminders for yourself, and been honest with when you needed a break. You're an amazing dude, thanks for letting me hang with you a couple of hours a week:) Keep eating the elephant one bite at a time, man; you've got someone rooting for you all the way through! 

LONG REFLECTION EXAMPLE from Gabe W-R

Went well this past year:
1) Got to classes on time across the board.
2) Enjoyed English class; assignments not too difficult, included a lot more original and creative writing.
3) Knowing exactly what to study for on tests felt super important, and very useful when it was executed well.

Struggled with this past year:
1) Remembering what homework you had, when it was due, and to turn it in once finished.
2) Missing one assignment would snowball into missing more.
3) Long assignments in both Bio and French were tedious to complete.

Goals for this summer:
1) Go to Guatemala for a month.
**While there, ask family if there are tasks you can take on that need to be done regularly (watering plants, walking the dog, etc.). Doing these types of tasks outside of your usual environment, and having to remember them without prompting can be very effective practice for the memory practice you want to build on going forward.

2) Work at Studio One; this would be a good way to work on some of the habit-building you want to focus on next year.
**Create a resume to apply to Studio One!

3) Study AP Physics textbook to be more prepared next year.
**Get the books from your friend's list of recommendations.

4) Get through a really big book over the summer.
**While reading this summer, pick a few books to do some writing on. As we discussed, pause halfway through each of these books and write a short reflection on what you've read so far, as well as some predictions for the second half. Then, once you've finished the book, write about how what you predicted matched up or didn't with what actually happened, and how that alignment or disconnect makes you feel.

5) Practice French so you don't forget what you've learned this past year; have a full convo in French.
**Set up a regular practice time with your dad, e.g. one night a week or 'over dinner we just speak in French'. 

Goals for next year:
1) Set up a system to remember what homework you have, when it's due, and when you'll do it.
2) Set up plans to prevent spiraling/snowballing when an assignment isn't finished on time.
3) Complete assignments as soon as they're assigned.
4) Keep up the practice of getting to classes early (it felt useful this past year).
5) Spend lunch time on campus, making up work and hanging out with friends instead of going to Safeway.
6) Build better habits around work management and advocating for yourself.

EXAMPLE WITH STUDENT NOTE from Jen C.

CLIENT NOTE
It has been such an honor working with N this year! She is an incredibly joyful, curious, creative, and engaged learner. In our work together, we focused on building her multiplication fluency through the Nine Line curriculum, math facts review in the style of a game show, multiplication games online, and memory games. 

N has moved towards proficiency in all of her math houses. She would still benefit from even more practice with the numbers 7, 8, and 9. She has learned best in a narrative and creative style - by creating a story for each "guest," or product. She often associates the products with an age and creates a one-sentence background story for them on the fly, based on their age. She has also designed unique architectural homes for each number, which paints another narrative to associate with. 

N has been eager to challenge herself, especially as she's gotten more comfortable with her multiplication facts. While we're only practicing numbers 2-9, she often extends her math facts to include 10 and 11. She has found joy in applying unique puzzles or short-hand tricks to remember certain math houses (i.e., filling out the 7's grid and counting 9's across her fingers).

STUDENT NOTE:
M, I have loved working with you this year! You have made a lot of progress and have tons to be proud of yourself for. Remember your letter to yourself anytime you need a reminder of your awesomeness. 

Here are some of the MANY awesome traits of yours I've been honored to witness/experience:
- Creative
- Empathetic
- Resilient
- Courageous
- Insatiable hunger for knowledge
- Vision for social justice 

What you've grown in:
- Time management (using timers and taking breaks)
- Tracking assignments (using your Calendar app)
- Self-reflection
- Self-advocacy
- Self-confidence
- Taking initiative
- Being proactive and anticipating future assignments

I am excited for your future, M! Keep doing YOU. If you need anything, you have my email and Google Voice number! Have a wonderful summer!