What Do You See?

Think about a time you did something really well, or learned something new. What did you notice about yourself during that experience?





Now, think about something you found challenging, or a mistake you made. What did you learn from that experience?

Teacher's Guide to Reflection

Warm Up: What Do You See? (10 minutes)

"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to start with a warm-up activity called What Do You See?. I've handed out a sheet with two prompts. I'd like you to take about 5-7 minutes to think about and write down your responses to these questions:

1. Think about a time you did something really well, or learned something new. What did you notice about yourself during that experience?
2. Now, think about something you found challenging, or a mistake you made. What did you learn from that experience?

Take your time, reflect quietly, and write honestly. There are no right or wrong answers, just your own thoughts.



(After 5-7 minutes, bring the class back together.)

"Alright, who would like to share something they noticed about themselves during a successful experience? What was that like?"

(Allow 2-3 students to share. Validate their responses.)

"Thank you for sharing. Now, how about a time you faced a challenge or made a mistake? What did you learn from that? Was it difficult to think about?"

(Allow 2-3 students to share. Emphasize that learning from challenges is a powerful part of growth.)

Introduction to Self-Reflection (10 minutes)

"Excellent job with our warm-up. What you just did – thinking about your experiences and what you learned from them – is actually a form of self-reflection. Today, we're going to dive deeper into this important skill.

Let's start with our Slide Deck: Self-Reflection Journey."

(Advance to Slide 1: "Welcome to Your Self-Reflection Journey!")

"Today, we're going to explore something super powerful: Self-Reflection! What does it mean to look inward? How can it help us grow? These are the questions we'll be thinking about.

(Advance to Slide 2: "What is Self-Reflection?")

"So, what exactly is self-reflection? Think of it like looking into a mirror, but instead of seeing your face, you're seeing your thoughts, feelings, and actions. It's about taking a moment to pause and observe what's happening inside you and around you. It's about thinking about what you did well, what you could do differently, and most importantly, learning from your experiences."

(Advance to Slide 3: "Watch This: Why Reflect?")

"To help us understand this even better, I have a short video. This video will show you why self-reflection is so important for growing as a person! Please watch carefully and think about the main message."

(Play the video: Why Reflect?. After the video, ask a quick question or two.)

"What was one key idea you took away from that video about why self-reflection is helpful?"

(Allow a couple of students to share.)

(Advance to Slide 4: "Why is it Important?")

"Fantastic! The video highlighted many great points. As you can see, self-reflection is incredibly important because when we practice it:

• You get to know yourself better! You understand your strengths and areas where you can grow.
• You can learn from mistakes. We all make them, and reflection helps us turn them into learning opportunities.
• You make better choices. When you understand yourself, you can make decisions that align with your goals.
• You become more resilient! You learn to bounce back from challenges.
• You become a happier, more confident YOU!"

(Advance to Slide 5: "How Can We Reflect?")

"Now, you might be thinking, 'How do I actually do this?' It's simpler than you might think! Some ways to reflect include:

• Asking yourself questions: Like the ones we did in the warm-up! What went well today? What was challenging? What did I learn? What could I do differently next time?
• Writing in a journal. This gives you a private space to explore your thoughts.
• Talking to a trusted adult. A parent, guardian, or teacher can help you process your thoughts.
• Just taking a quiet moment to think. Sometimes, just sitting quietly for a few minutes can make a big difference."

Understanding Self-Reflection: Reading & Discussion (15 minutes)

"To deepen our understanding, I'm going to hand out a short reading called The Power of Looking Within. Please read this silently or with a partner. As you read, think about any new ideas or connections you make about self-reflection."

(Distribute the reading. Allow 7-8 minutes for students to read.)

"Now that you've read about the power of looking within, let's have a brief discussion using our Discussion: Sharing Our Insights prompts. Remember to listen respectfully to your classmates."

"Based on the reading, what is one new thing you learned about self-reflection?"

"Can you think of a real-life situation where self-reflection could be really helpful?"

"Why do you think it might be difficult for some people to self-reflect?"

(Facilitate a brief discussion, encouraging participation from several students.)

Practicing Self-Reflection: Activity & Worksheet (20 minutes)

(Advance to Slide 6: "Your Turn to Reflect!")

"Great discussion, everyone. Now, let's put self-reflection into practice! We're going to create a Reflection Map using the Activity: Reflection Map as a guide and fill out a Worksheet: My Reflection Journal based on a recent experience."

"On your worksheet, you'll see a space to think about a recent experience – it could be something from school, home, or with friends. Follow the prompts to map out:

• The Experience: What happened?
• Your Feelings: How did you feel during and after?
• Your Actions: What did you do?
• What You Learned: What lesson can you take away?
• What You'll Do Next Time: How will this reflection help you in the future?

I'll be walking around to help if you have any questions. You have about 15 minutes for this activity."

(Circulate and provide individual support and guidance.)

Cool Down: One Big Idea (5 minutes)

(Advance to Slide 7: "Keep Reflecting!")

"Wonderful work on your reflection maps and journals! To wrap up our lesson today, I'm handing out a Cool Down: One Big Idea exit ticket.

On this sheet, I want you to write down one big idea or one key takeaway you learned about self-reflection today. What's the most important thing you'll remember?

When you're finished, please hand it to me as you leave. Remember, self-reflection is a lifelong skill. Make it a habit! Keep learning and growing! You've got this!"

The Power of Looking Within: What is Self-Reflection?

Imagine you just finished building a really cool LEGO castle. You look at it and think, "Wow, I really like how I designed this tower! But next time, maybe I could use different pieces for the bridge to make it stronger." That moment when you stop and think about what you did, what worked, and what could be better? That's self-reflection!

Self-reflection is like having a quiet conversation with yourself. It's taking a moment to pause and think about your own thoughts, feelings, and actions. It's not about being hard on yourself, but about being curious. It's asking questions like:

• What happened? (Just the facts, like what you did in a game or a project at school.)
• How did I feel? (Were you happy, frustrated, proud, confused?)
• What did I do well? (What were your strengths in that moment?)
• What could I have done differently? (Is there another way you could have acted or thought?)
• What did I learn from this experience? (What new understanding did you gain?)
• How will I use this learning in the future? (How can you apply it next time?)

Why is it so powerful?

Self-reflection is a superpower because it helps you grow! When you reflect, you:

1. Understand Yourself Better: You learn what makes you tick, what you're good at, and what you find challenging. This helps you know your own strengths and areas where you can improve.
2. Learn from Everything: Every experience, good or bad, becomes a chance to learn. Mistakes aren't just mistakes; they're lessons waiting to be discovered.
3. Make Smarter Choices: When you've reflected on past actions and their results, you can make better decisions in the future.
4. Become More Resilient: You learn to bounce back when things are tough because you understand how to process what happened and move forward.
5. Build Confidence: Knowing yourself and your ability to learn and adapt makes you feel more confident in who you are and what you can do.

It's not always easy to slow down and think, especially when life is busy. But just like practicing a sport or learning an instrument makes you better, practicing self-reflection makes you better at being you. It helps you become a more thoughtful, understanding, and capable person. So, take a moment today to look within!

Sharing Our Insights: A Class Discussion on Self-Reflection

Let's talk about what we've learned and thought about today. Remember to listen to your classmates and share your ideas respectfully.

Discussion Prompts:

1. Based on the reading, "The Power of Looking Within," what is one new thing you learned about self-reflection that you didn't know before?
   
   
   
2. Can you think of a real-life situation, either from your own experience or something you've observed, where self-reflection could be really helpful? Explain why.
   
   
   
3. The reading mentioned that self-reflection helps us learn from everything. How does thinking about a mistake help you learn, instead of just feeling bad about it?
   
   
   
4. Why do you think it might be difficult for some people to self-reflect? What are some challenges to looking within and being honest with yourself?
   
   
   
5. How do you think practicing self-reflection regularly could change how you approach schoolwork, friendships, or even your hobbies?
   
   
   

Create Your Reflection Map

Sometimes, seeing our thoughts and feelings laid out can help us understand them better. For this activity, you will create a "Reflection Map" based on a recent experience. This could be:

• A time you felt proud of something you did.
• A time you faced a challenge in a game or schoolwork.
• A disagreement with a friend.
• Learning a new skill.

Instructions:

1. Choose ONE recent experience that you want to reflect on. It should be something you remember well.
2. In the center of a blank paper (or in your journal), write down the experience. Draw a circle around it.
3. Draw branches coming off the main experience circle. Each branch will represent a different aspect of your reflection. Label these branches with the following titles:
   • What Happened? (Briefly describe the event.)
   • My Feelings (How did you feel during and after? Use feeling words: happy, sad, frustrated, proud, confused, excited, etc.)
   • My Actions (What did you do or say during this experience?)
   • What I Learned (What lesson can you take away from this experience?)
   • Next Time, I Will... (How will this reflection help you in the future? What will you do differently, or the same, next time?)
4. Add details and draw small pictures or symbols around each branch to represent your thoughts and feelings. Use colors to make your map visually engaging!
5. Be honest with yourself. This is your reflection map to help you understand and grow.

Example Branch Idea:

(Main Experience: Forgot my homework)
    |---- What Happened? -> Rushed morning, left it on the table
    |---- My Feelings -> Annoyed, a little embarrassed, worried about grade
    |---- My Actions -> Told the teacher, got a late slip
    |---- What I Learned -> Need a 

My Reflection Journal: What I See Within

Name: _________________________ Date: _____________

Think about a recent experience you had (it could be something from school, home, or with friends). Use the questions below to reflect on it. Be honest with yourself – this is how we learn and grow!

1. The Experience:

What happened? Describe the event or situation in detail.

2. My Feelings:

How did you feel during this experience? How did you feel after it was over? (Think of words like happy, sad, frustrated, proud, confused, excited, angry, calm).

3. My Actions:

What did you do or say during this experience? How did you react?

4. What I Learned:

What lesson can you take away from this experience? What new understanding did you gain about yourself or others?

5. Next Time, I Will...:

How will this reflection help you in the future? What will you do differently, or the same, next time you are in a similar situation?

One Big Idea: Self-Reflection

Name: _________________________ Date: _____________

Reflect on today's lesson about self-reflection. What is one big idea or one key takeaway that you learned today? It could be something new you understood, a strategy you want to try, or how self-reflection can help you.

How do you think you can use this "one big idea" in your life this week?

Self-Reflection Quiz Answer Key

1. What does self-reflection primarily involve?

Correct Answer: Thinking about your thoughts, feelings, and actions

Thought Process: The lesson defined self-reflection as looking inward at one's thoughts, feelings, and actions, rather than just physical appearance or external opinions.

2. Which of these is NOT a benefit of self-reflection?

Correct Answer: You become more confused

Thought Process: The slide deck and reading explicitly listed getting to know yourself better, making better choices, and learning from mistakes as benefits. Becoming more confused is the opposite of the clarity that self-reflection aims to bring.

3. Name two ways you can practice self-reflection.

Correct Answer: Possible answers include: asking yourself questions, writing in a journal, talking to a trusted adult, taking a quiet moment to think.

Thought Process: The script and slide deck provided several practical strategies for students to engage in self-reflection. Any two of these would be correct.

4. On a scale of 1 to 5, how important do you think self-reflection is for personal growth? (1 = Not important at all, 5 = Extremely important)

Correct Answer: This is a Likert scale question; there is no single 'correct' answer, but the intent is to gauge student perception. A higher number indicates stronger agreement with importance.

Thought Process: This question assesses the student's personal understanding and internalization of the lesson's message regarding the value of self-reflection. The teacher should look for a reasonable response based on the lesson's content, ideally leaning towards 4 or 5 given the emphasis on its importance.

5. Describe one situation where self-reflection could help you. What would you reflect on?

Correct Answer: Answers will vary but should demonstrate understanding of self-reflection in a practical context, e.g., reflecting on a disagreement to understand feelings and improve communication, or reflecting on a challenging assignment to identify learning strategies.

Thought Process: This open-response question requires students to apply the concept of self-reflection to a real-world scenario. The answer should show an understanding of what self-reflection is and how it can be used to navigate or improve an experience.

My Reflection Portfolio: A Journey Inward

Goal: To practice self-reflection over a short period and notice how it helps you learn and grow.

Description: Over the next week, you will create a small

Reflection Portfolio Rubric

Student Name: ________________________ Date: _____________

This rubric will be used to assess your