Self-reflection activities

• avoid too many form-filling exercises
• frame questions requiring self-reflection differently so they don't always sound the same
• make time for regular reflection of the portfolio collection
• have the student point out their own progress as they see it through their work samples
• suggest that students write why they included specific items in their portfolios
• have students bring into school a symbolic item  -  one that reflects who they are / their faith / culture  -  and have them explain it
• from a series of photographs of themselves, have the students put them in chronological order describing themselves in each picture
• ask students to identify their motivation and engagement with the introduction of self-reflection activities
• select a variety activities that reach self-reflection processes in different ways:
  • story writing
  • oral reports
  • reporting on processes of discovery
  • art activities expressing thoughts and ideas
  • newspaper article writing describing an event
  • reviewing photographic records
  • editing the student's own work
  • critiquing the work of peers
  • show and tell
  • science experiment write-ups
  • recording observations made by the student themselves
  • book reports with guided questions
  • television program reviews
  • field note writing using a clipboard
  • retelling stories to younger children
  • using pictures to prompt memories of celebrations
  • suggest determining the student's own preferences
  • have students record / chart each others favorite book tittles / movie title

Tips:

Past experience has shown that:

• practicing verbal self-evaluation throughout the term gives the students the skills that they need to reflect;
• referring to the quality writing poster in the class helps students to be more specific about what process or skills they used to complete piece of writing;
• self-evaluations improve each term, this is an abstract skill, do not get discouraged with first term self-evaluation

Role of Teacher:

• review or introduce the concept of self-evaluation;
• determine class periods that will be used for this process;
• read former student's self-evaluations;
• decide on questions which are appropriate for your class;
• explain to students that it is through their self-evaluation that they can better determine how much they have learned this term.

Samples

Elementary Cycle 3 and Secondary Cycles
Self-Evaluation Questions Self-evaluation (AWorks) Self-Eval (Word)	Writing Pieces Writing Pieces (AWorks) Writing Pieces (Word)
	Thinking About My Writing This document is a series of self-evaluation questions, appropriate for cycle 3 and beyond. Please adjust and modify according to what your students have been learning with you. Thinking About My Writing (AWorks) Thinking About My Writing (Word)