Reflecting on Last Year's Lessons

Jeanette Flores Tyler

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Reflecting on Last Year's Lessons

Reflect on personal and academic growth

This lesson encourages students to reflect on the important lessons they learned over the past year, both personally and academically. By engaging in guided reflection and group discussion, students can identify areas of growth and set intentions for the new year. This activity fosters self-awareness and goal-setting, helping students to approach the new year with clarity and confidence.

Audience

Grades 9-12 Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Reflect on personal and academic growth

Materials

Discussion Questions, Reflection Worksheet, and Pens and Paper

Step 1

Introduction

5 minutes

Welcome students and explain the purpose of the lesson: to reflect on the past year and identify key lessons learned.
Briefly discuss the importance of reflection in personal and academic growth.

Step 2

Individual Reflection

10 minutes

Distribute the Reflection Worksheet to each student.
Ask students to spend time writing down their thoughts on the past year, focusing on personal and academic experiences.
Encourage them to think about challenges they faced, successes they achieved, and lessons they learned.

Step 3

Group Discussion

10 minutes

Organize students into small groups.
Provide each group with a set of Discussion Questions.
Instruct students to share their reflections and discuss the questions, focusing on common themes and insights.

Step 4

Closure

5 minutes

Bring the class back together for a brief closing discussion.
Ask a few students to share key takeaways from their group discussions.
Encourage students to think about how they can apply these lessons in the new year.

Discussion

Discussion Questions

A set of questions to guide group discussions on personal and academic reflections from the past year.

What was one personal challenge you faced this year, and how did you overcome it?

Encourage students to think about specific challenges and the strategies they used to address them.

What academic achievement are you most proud of from the past year?

Guide students to reflect on their academic successes and the effort that went into achieving them.

What is one lesson you learned this year that you will carry into the next year?

Help students identify key takeaways and how they can apply these lessons moving forward.

Worksheet

Reflection Worksheet

A worksheet to help students reflect on their personal and academic experiences over the past year.

Describe a personal experience from the past year that taught you an important lesson.

Think about a moment that challenged you or changed your perspective.

Reflect on an academic goal you set for yourself. Did you achieve it? Why or why not?

Consider the steps you took towards your goal and any obstacles you encountered.

Identify one area where you have grown the most this year.

This could be a skill, a mindset, or a personal quality.