Reflection Resources

Figure out which card goes in which slot on the board where no row or column has duplicate numbers.  Additionally, each row must be in the same suit.  As a team, take turns placing cards on the Sudoku board. 

Just don't forget to make a copy of the slide deck for each team!

The challenge will be to use five playing cards of different values and come up with an equation where your final answer is the number twenty.  

This could be played in person or virtually.

A visual tool to check in on how students are feeling.  They can drag and drop a pin on the image of their choice. This can be used to create groups, all the same or all different.

Michelle Cummings of Training Wheels curated this e-book. It includes dozens of virtual icebreaker activities, brain break and movement activities, problem solving activities and more.

Another collection of virtual team building activities compiled by Adventureworks and Lee Ann Armstrong, LEL from HWDSB

The Community Building In A Virtual Classroom resource provides teachers with a series of nine 20-40 minute learning activities based on the experiential learning model phases of participate, reflect and apply. Focusing on various themes that promote community building in the early days of a school year/new course, teachers have access to flexible ideas for promoting a welcoming, inclusive and supportive classroom environment during a time of distance learning. 

Reflection Strategies for Distance Learning

Reflection strategies adapted for distance learning connected to assessment for and as learning. 

Discover a huge inventory of virtual and in-person interactive group and game activities for every classroom

Body Part Debrief - great for non-readers!

Each part can represent a different metaphor. Here are some examples of what the different parts can represent. For example, 1. heart, name something you felt, or a feeling you experienced. 2. brain- Tell the group something that you learned.

Credit: SCDSB & Michelle Cummings, Training Wheels 

Wheel of Names

This wheel can be personalized for whatever reflection questions/prompts are appropriate for your experience.  Let the reflection be part of the experience by making it a little more interactive.

Story Wheels are a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Create a silly story using all nine of the images, or use it for processing an experience by selecting one image that metaphorically connects to a concept.

Roll the virtual dice and answer the corresponding question.  There are many adaptations include using three different coloured foam dice and adding your own reflection questions. Sample 3 Dice Question Chart

This site provides icebreaker and reflective activities, without advertisements, including Wheel of Names and Dice Activities. 

Even though this resource is meant to be printed on a deck of 52 cards, it's a great tool that can be virtually shared with your students. Students chose a picture that relates to something they learned about that day. It's a creative way to get your students to attach an experience to a metaphor and share why.

Pictures are worth a thousand words! 

Chiji is a Chinese word meaning important or significant opportunity. Each die is covered in questions to enable participant-directed group processing. This is a fun and easy-to-use tool for any teacher! Each set of Chiji Dice contains:

• 1 red die (fact-finding questions) 

• 1 orange die (analysis & feeling questions) 

• 1 yellow die (transference questions) 

• 1 blue die (control/directions) 

• 24 blank adhesive die circles (create your own questions)

From Michelle Cummings, The Foundations Debrief is a set of 7 latex-free parts that can be used individually for more targeted discussions, or as a complete set to allow for more participant creativity in their responses. Place these parts out in front of your group to set the stage for targeted metaphoric processing. 

The Pocket Processor is a processing tool based on the theory of the yin and the yang. This theory describes two ends of a continuum, with each end having the seed of the other; like 'this or that?'

With this newly redesigned deck of cards by Jim Cain, you can facilitate over a dozen powerful team and community building activities. In addition to the 52 cards in a typical deck, this collection also includes additional debriefing cards, puzzles, challenges, icebreaking questions, character building activities, games and instructions for helping you utilize the power of these cards to the fullest. Sample activity card.

Miniature Metaphors can be used in a variety of ways from individual reflection to group processing. They can be used for engaging conversation and reflection around goal setting, debriefing, resolving conflict and celebrating the individual strengths and positive attributes of group members. Use your creativity, the possibilities are endless. Participants can attach their thoughts to a tangible object that can be touched and shown to a group. Because the participants can talk about the object or image rather than about themselves directly, they sometimes express thoughts that would otherwise be left unsaid. 

A Debriefing Deck is a deck of reflection question cards. Place the cards face down in three piles.  Take turns answering What?, So What? and Now What? questions. Questions are designed around learning and leadership skills:

• Communication

• Problem Solving

• Critical Thinking

• Conflict Resolution

• Creativity

• Collaboration

Contact the CCEL Facilitator if you would like a printed set of cards

ULead Cards are the most multi-functional educational social-emotional learning and group facilitation tools available. They have something for any population regardless of age or purpose of the group (i.e. classroom, group counselling, community building, social emotional learning). 

The Debriefing Thumball™ was designed to help facilitators ask debriefing questions in a proper sequence that makes sense to participants. It can also shift some of the responsibility for successful processing from the facilitator to the participants. The sequence of: 1) What happened?, 2) Why is this important? and 3) How can I use this information?, not only takes participants through a progression for processing a specific event, but also presents an overall lesson on proper processing.

Blow-up beach balls are also an inexpensive alternative to create your own thumball!