Year in Review Journal: Reflect & Reset

This journal is your space to reflect on your journey over the past year. Be honest with yourself and celebrate your growth!

Part 1: Quick Look Back (Warm-Up)

1. When you think about the past year, what's one major highlight or success that comes to mind?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What's one challenge or struggle you faced?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 2: Deep Dive Reflection

Academic Growth

1. Describe a subject or project where you felt you truly excelled this year. What made it a success?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What was a specific academic challenge you encountered? How did you try to overcome it, or what did you learn from it?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. In what ways did your study habits or learning strategies evolve this year?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Personal Growth

1. Describe a moment when you felt proud of yourself for something unrelated to academics. What happened?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What new skill or hobby did you try or develop this year? How did it impact you?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. What was one major personal lesson you learned about yourself or about life?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Social & Emotional Connections

1. How did your relationships with friends, family, or teachers change or grow this year?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Describe a time when you had to navigate a difficult social situation. What did you learn from it?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. In what ways did you practice kindness, empathy, or collaboration with others?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 3: Looking Forward

1. Based on your reflections, what is one key takeaway or insight you have about yourself from the past year?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What is one thing you are most looking forward to in the coming year?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

My Growth Path Activity: Sharing & Listening

Objective: To share insights from your Year in Review Journal with your group, practice active listening, and learn from each other's experiences.

Instructions:

1. Form small groups (3-4 students).
2. Take turns sharing. Each person will have about 2-3 minutes to share ONE significant insight or learning that emerged from their Year in Review Journal. This could be:
   • A surprising discovery about themselves.
   • A major lesson learned from a challenge.
   • A specific accomplishment they are proud of.
   • Something they want to carry forward into the new year.
3. Active Listening: While one person is sharing, everyone else in the group should listen attentively. Practice non-verbal cues like nodding and making eye contact.
4. No Interruption: Allow each person to share fully without interruption.
5. Brief, Supportive Feedback (Optional): After someone shares, one or two group members can offer a brief, positive comment or ask a clarifying question. For example:
   • "That's really insightful!"
   • "Thank you for sharing that. It makes me think about..."
   • "Could you tell us a bit more about what helped you through that challenge?"
6. Move On: Once feedback is given, the next person shares.

Remember to create a safe and supportive environment for everyone to share openly.

Future Forward Worksheet: Setting Intentions

Now that you've reflected on the past year, it's time to look ahead and set some intentions for your future growth!

Part 1: My Vision

1. Imagine yourself one year from now. What does success look like for you, academically and personally?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 2: Setting SMART Goals

Choose two areas (one academic, one personal) where you want to focus your energy in the coming year. For each area, set a SMART goal.

Academic Goal

• Area of Focus: (e.g., improve math grade, read more non-fiction, join a study group)
  
  
  
  

• S - Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve? Be clear and detailed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• M - Measurable: How will you know when you've achieved it? What metrics will you use?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• A - Achievable: Is this goal realistic and attainable given your resources and time?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• R - Relevant: Why is this goal important to you? How does it align with your values or future aspirations?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• T - Time-bound: When will you achieve this goal? Set a deadline.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• My Academic SMART Goal: (Write out your complete SMART goal statement)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Personal Goal

• Area of Focus: (e.g., learn a new skill, improve a relationship, practice mindfulness, volunteer)
  
  
  
  

• S - Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve? Be clear and detailed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• M - Measurable: How will you know when you've achieved it? What metrics will you use?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• A - Achievable: Is this goal realistic and attainable given your resources and time?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• R - Relevant: Why is this goal important to you? How does it align with your values or future aspirations?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• T - Time-bound: When will you achieve this goal? Set a deadline.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• My Personal SMART Goal: (Write out your complete SMART goal statement)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Part 3: Support & Next Steps

1. Who can support you in achieving these goals? (e.g., teacher, parent, friend, counselor)
   
   
   
   

2. What is the very first step you can take towards one of your goals?
   
   
   
   

Teacher Script: Reflect & Reset: End-of-Year Review

Introduction & Warm-Up: Setting the Stage (10 minutes)

(Display Slide 1: "Reflect & Reset: Your Year, Your Growth")

Teacher: "Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Welcome. Today, we're going to take some time to do something really valuable: look back at the past year, celebrate our growth, learn from our experiences, and set some powerful intentions for the new year."

(Pause, make eye contact, gauge engagement.)

Teacher: "Think of this as a personal GPS check-in. Before we can plan our next destination, it's helpful to see where we've been and what we've learned on our journey so far."

(Distribute the Year in Review Journal to each student.)

Teacher: "You each have a 'Year in Review Journal' in front of you. Please turn to 'Part 1: Quick Look Back.' For the next 5 minutes, I'd like you to quietly complete these two warm-up prompts. Just jot down whatever comes to mind first. There are no right or wrong answers here."

(Allow 5 minutes for students to write. Circulate the room to monitor and offer quiet encouragement.)

Teacher: "Alright, settle back in. Would anyone like to briefly share one highlight or one challenge they noted down? Remember, this is a safe space, and sharing is completely optional. Just one quick thought."

(Facilitate a brief, voluntary share-out. Affirm responses, e.g., "Thank you for sharing that," "That's a great highlight," "It takes courage to acknowledge challenges.")

Deep Dive Reflection: Journaling & Discussion (20 minutes)

(Transition to Slide 3: "Your Year in Review: The Journal")

Teacher: "Excellent. Now we're going to dive a bit deeper into our reflections using the rest of your journal. Turn to 'Part 2: Deep Dive Reflection.' You'll see sections for Academic Growth, Personal Growth, and Social & Emotional Connections."

Teacher: "For the next 10-12 minutes, I want you to work independently on these prompts. Read each question carefully and give yourself permission to be really honest and detailed in your responses. This journal is primarily for your benefit, so the more you put into it, the more you'll get out of it."

(Allow 10-12 minutes for individual journaling. Circulate, offering quiet support, and reminding students to delve deeper.)

Teacher: "Okay, let's bring it together for a moment. Now, we're going to transition into a small group activity. I'd like you to get into groups of [specify how many, e.g., 3 or 4] (if you're not already there)."

(Allow a moment for students to form groups.)

(Transition to Slide 4: "Sharing Our Stories: My Growth Path Activity")

Teacher: "Each group member should have the My Growth Path Activity sheet. Your task is to take turns sharing one significant insight or learning that emerged from your journal reflections. You don't have to read your whole journal, just pick one key takeaway you're comfortable sharing."

Teacher: "As your classmates share, practice active listening. Give them your full attention. After someone shares, you can offer a brief, supportive comment or a clarifying question. We want to create a really positive and encouraging environment. You'll have about 8-10 minutes for your group discussions."

(Allow 8-10 minutes for group discussion. Circulate to ensure groups are on task and engaged in meaningful sharing.)

Synthesizing Learning: Identifying Key Takeaways (15 minutes)

(Bring the class back together.)

(Transition to Slide 5: "Key Takeaways: What Did You Discover?")

Teacher: "Fantastic discussions, everyone. Let's bring our thoughts back to the whole class. From your journaling and group discussions, what were some overarching themes, surprising insights, or significant learnings that emerged? What did you discover about yourselves or the past year?"

*(Facilitate a whole-class discussion. Use prompts like:)

• "Did anyone have an 'aha!' moment while writing or sharing?"
• "What was something you heard from a classmate that resonated with you?"
• "How can these learnings help us as we move forward?"

Teacher: "Great ideas! Now, as a class, let's brainstorm a few strategies for how we can take what we've learned – both from our successes and our challenges – and apply it to the coming year."

(Guide a brief brainstorm session, writing down student suggestions on the board if appropriate.)

Teacher: "These reflections are powerful, but they become even more powerful when we translate them into action. That's what our next step is about."

Future Forward: Setting Intentions & Cool Down (15 minutes)

(Distribute the Future Forward Worksheet.)

(Transition to Slide 6: "Future Forward: Setting Intentions")

Teacher: "Now you have the 'Future Forward Worksheet.' This is where we turn our insights into concrete, actionable intentions and goals. I want you to choose two areas – one academic and one personal – where you want to focus your energy."

Teacher: "As you set your goals, I want you to think SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, instead of 'I want to do better in English,' a SMART goal might be: 'I will improve my English essay grade to an A- by submitting drafts for feedback on all major assignments in the first semester.'"

(Provide another example for a personal goal, e.g., "Instead of 'I want to be healthier,' a SMART goal might be: 'I will exercise for 30 minutes, three times a week, after school for the next month to improve my physical fitness.'")

Teacher: "You'll have about 10 minutes to work on your SMART goals. Take your time and make them meaningful to you."

(Allow 10 minutes for students to work on the worksheet. Circulate, offering assistance and clarifying the SMART criteria.)

(Transition to Slide 7: "Your Journey Continues...")

Teacher: "Alright everyone, as we wrap up, I want to reiterate the importance of this process. Reflection is a powerful tool, and the intentions you've set today are your roadmap for continued growth."

Teacher: "To close, would anyone like to share one intention they are particularly excited about for the new year? Or, if you prefer, just take a moment to silently think about that one intention you're most committed to."

(Allow for a few voluntary shares, or provide a moment of silent reflection.)

Teacher: "Thank you all for your thoughtful participation today. Remember, your journey of growth is ongoing. Keep reflecting, keep learning, and keep setting those powerful intentions. Have a wonderful rest of your day!"