Reflections 

Why Reflections Matter 

Reflections are the heart of your CAS portfolio. They show your learning journey, not just what you did.

• They help you make sense of your experiences.

• They show the skills and attitudes you’ve developed.

• They are required for IB checks and your final CAS interview.

• They become a personal record of how much you’ve grown.

Being reflective is one attribute of the IB learner profile: “We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.”

What Makes a Good Reflection 

A good reflection is not just “I did this, it was fun.” It should:

• Describe what happened.
  
  

• Analyse what you learned or how you felt.
  
  

• Connect to CAS strands or Learner Profile attributes.
  
  

• Look ahead: what’s next or how you could improve.

When to reflect

You need to reflect throughout your experience, not just at the end: 

1. Introduction (when you start the experience)

Purpose: To set the scene and clarify your goals.

• Explain why you chose this experience.

• Mention your starting point (skills, motivation, expectations).

• Define your objectives for the experience (personal growth, teamwork, new skills).

• Identify the CAS strand(s) and Learner Passport competence you expect to develop.
  
  

Example:

“I have been playing football since I was 8, but this year I became the captain of the school team. My goal is to improve my leadership and communication skills, support my teammates, and help us reach the semi-finals in the inter-school tournament. I also want to build my confidence in speaking up and motivating others.”

2. Interim Reflections (while the experience is ongoing)

Purpose: To analyse your progress and adjust your approach.

• Reflect after key moments (a game, meeting, event, challenges or milestone).

• Describe challenges or successes and what you learned.

• Mention changes in your perspective or approach.

• Connect your experience to IB attributes like resilience, empathy, or balance.
  
  

Example – Interim Reflection 1:

“The first few weeks as captain were more difficult than I expected. Managing training while focusing on my own performance was challenging. I realized leadership isn’t about giving orders but about listening and creating trust. To improve communication, I started short debriefs after each match. This helped players feel more comfortable sharing feedback and helped me grow in empathy and active listening.”

Example – Interim Reflection 2:

“Midway through the season, we had a tough loss that lowered morale. I decided to organize a team-building afternoon to reconnect. It reminded me that leadership also requires emotional intelligence. I learned how to motivate others and adapt my communication to different personalities. This made me more resilient and patient, especially during stressful moments.”

3. Final Reflection (when the experience ends)

Purpose: To summarise your growth and learning.

• Look back at your objectives — did you meet them?

• Explain the main lessons you’ve learned.

• Identify personal growth and transferable skills.

• Mention next steps or how you’ll apply what you learned.
  
  

Example – Final Reflection:

“By the end of the season, we had reached the semi-finals — one of our original goals — but the real achievement was how much closer we became as a team. I learned to adapt my leadership style, balance authority with empathy, and motivate others even in challenging times. This experience helped me build confidence and collaboration skills that I can now apply in group projects or future jobs. It also showed me that leadership is about serving others, not just directing them.”

REFLECTIONS AND COMPETENCES

For every experience or every project, you choose one competence. When you write a reflection, you have to discuss these competences and decide if they were reached, partially reached or on the contrary, not reached. In this way, you can write an introspective reflection on your experience and think about the way you approached the experience. Here are some questions to help you draft your reflection.

Lifelong Learning

How did this experience contribute to your continuous personal and academic development? What specific knowledge or skills did you actively seek to acquire or enhance? Describe a moment during this experience where you demonstrated adaptability and openness to learning. How do you plan to apply the lessons learned from this experience to future endeavors? Reflect on a challenge you encountered during this experience and how you approached it as an opportunity for growth.

Self Agency

Discuss a decision you made independently during your CAS journey and its impact. How did you demonstrate initiative in initiating or leading aspects of your CAS experience or project? Reflect on a moment when you took responsibility for overcoming a setback or obstacle. Describe how you balanced your personal interests and passions with the requirements of your CAS experience or project. In what ways did you advocate for your own learning and development throughout this experience?

Interacting with Others

Reflect on a collaborative effort you were involved in during your CAS experience or project and its outcomes. Describe a conflict or disagreement you encountered while working with others and how you addressed it. How did you contribute to creating a supportive and inclusive environment within your group or community? Discuss a moment when you had to navigate cultural or interpersonal differences while collaborating with others. Reflect on the value of teamwork and cooperation in achieving shared goals during your CAS experience.

Interacting with Diverse Tools and Resources

Identify a new tool or resource you utilized during your CAS experience or project and its impact on your work. How did you adapt to using different technologies or methodologies to achieve your goals? Reflect on the effectiveness of the resources you accessed and their contribution to your learning. Describe a challenge you faced in accessing or utilizing a specific tool or resource and how you overcame it. In what ways did you leverage diverse resources to enhance the quality or scope of your CAS experience or project?

Interacting with the World

Discuss how your CAS experience or project connected with broader global issues or perspectives. Reflect on a moment when you gained a deeper understanding of cultural diversity or global interconnectedness. Describe actions you took to address local or global challenges through your CAS experience. In what ways did your involvement in your CAS experience or project contribute to your sense of global citizenship? Reflect on the impact of your actions on the community or world around you during your CAS journey.

Multiliterateness

How did you communicate your ideas or experiences effectively during your CAS project? Describe instances where you engaged with different forms of media or communication styles. Reflect on your development in various literacies (e.g., digital literacy, cultural literacy) throughout your CAS experience. Discuss the role of communication and expression in achieving your CAS experience or project goals. In what ways did you adapt your communication style to effectively engage with diverse audiences or stakeholders?

Transdisciplinarity

Reflect on how you integrated knowledge and skills from different subject areas or disciplines in your CAS project. Describe a moment when you approached a challenge from a multidisciplinary perspective and its impact. How did your understanding of interconnectedness influence your approach to problem-solving during your CAS experience? Discuss the benefits and challenges of applying knowledge from various disciplines to address real-world issues. Reflect on how your CAS experience or project expanded your understanding of the interconnected nature of learning across different domains.

Guiding questions

Microcompetences: Guiding Questions for Reflection

For every experience or project, you choose one competence. When you write a reflection, you have to discuss this competence and decide if it was reached, partially reached, or not reached. This process helps you write an introspective reflection on your experience and think about the way you approached it. Below are guiding questions to help you draft your reflection.

Lifelong Learning

• How did this experience contribute to your continuous personal and academic development?

• What specific knowledge or skills did you actively seek to acquire or enhance?

• Describe a moment during this experience where you demonstrated adaptability and openness to learning.

• How do you plan to apply the lessons learned from this experience to future endeavors?

• Reflect on a challenge you encountered during this experience and how you approached it as an opportunity for growth.

Self Agency

• Discuss a decision you made independently during your CAS journey and its impact.

• How did you demonstrate initiative in initiating or leading aspects of your CAS experience or project?

• Reflect on a moment when you took responsibility for overcoming a setback or obstacle.

• Describe how you balanced your personal interests and passions with the requirements of your CAS experience or project.

• In what ways did you advocate for your own learning and development throughout this experience?

Interacting with Others

• Reflect on a collaborative effort you were involved in during your CAS experience or project and its outcomes.

• Describe a conflict or disagreement you encountered while working with others and how you addressed it.

• How did you contribute to creating a supportive and inclusive environment within your group or community?

• Discuss a moment when you had to navigate cultural or interpersonal differences while collaborating with others.

• Reflect on the value of teamwork and cooperation in achieving shared goals during your CAS experience.

Interacting with Diverse Tools and Resources

• Identify a new tool or resource you utilized during your CAS experience or project and its impact on your work.

• How did you adapt to using different technologies or methodologies to achieve your goals?

• Reflect on the effectiveness of the resources you accessed and their contribution to your learning.

• Describe a challenge you faced in accessing or utilizing a specific tool or resource and how you overcame it.

• In what ways did you leverage diverse resources to enhance the quality or scope of your CAS experience or project?

Interacting with the World

• Discuss how your CAS experience or project connected with broader global issues or perspectives.

• Reflect on a moment when you gained a deeper understanding of cultural diversity or global interconnectedness.

• Describe actions you took to address local or global challenges through your CAS experience.

• In what ways did your involvement in your CAS experience or project contribute to your sense of global citizenship?

• Reflect on the impact of your actions on the community or world around you during your CAS journey.

Multiliterateness

• How did you communicate your ideas or experiences effectively during your CAS project?

• Describe instances where you engaged with different forms of media or communication styles.

• Reflect on your development in various literacies (e.g., digital literacy, cultural literacy) throughout your CAS experience.

• Discuss the role of communication and expression in achieving your CAS experience or project goals.

• In what ways did you adapt your communication style to effectively engage with diverse audiences or stakeholders?

Transdisciplinarity

• Reflect on how you integrated knowledge and skills from different subject areas or disciplines in your CAS project.

• Describe a moment when you approached a challenge from a multidisciplinary perspective and its impact.

• How did your understanding of interconnectedness influence your approach to problem-solving during your CAS experience?

• Discuss the benefits and challenges of applying knowledge from various disciplines to address real-world issues.

• Reflect on how your CAS experience or project expanded your understanding of the interconnected nature of learning across different domains.

reflection for a temporary exp

reflection for a CAS project

Stage 1 – Investigation

Reflection:

“During a family trip to the lake, I noticed how much litter had accumulated along the shore. It made me realize how much our community needed regular clean-up initiatives. I researched local organizations and discovered there was no consistent volunteer group in our area. This inspired me to create a beach clean-up project to reduce waste and raise awareness about protecting our environment.”

Stage 2 – Preparation

Reflection:

“We started by setting a clear plan: our goal was to organize two community clean-up days before the summer holidays. I worked with my mentor to create a budget for gloves, garbage bags, and refreshments for volunteers. We designed posters and shared them on social media to invite families and students to join. I learned how to divide responsibilities: I managed communication, while my teammate handled logistics. This stage taught me planning, time management, and how to break down a big idea into manageable steps.”

Stage 3 – Action

Reflection:

“Our first clean-up was challenging but rewarding. Only 12 people showed up, but together we collected 45 kg of trash! It was eye-opening to see how much waste people leave behind. The second clean-up had almost double the participants thanks to word of mouth. Leading the briefing and giving safety instructions pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I gained confidence speaking in front of a group. I also realized the importance of collaboration, as everyone had to work together efficiently.”

Stage 4 – Reflection (Ongoing)

Reflection:

“One of the biggest lessons I learned during the project was the power of small actions. At first, I felt discouraged that our first event didn’t have many participants, but I realized that consistency matters more than perfection. By the second event, more people joined, and some even asked how they could help us plan future clean-ups. This taught me that leadership means persistence and inspiring others through example.”

Stage 5 – Demonstration

Reflection:

“To wrap up the project, we created a short video with photos and statistics to share our results: more than 80 kg of trash collected and 30 community members engaged. We presented this video during the school assembly and posted it on the school website. Seeing others appreciate our work felt rewarding and made me proud of the impact we created. This project taught me about leadership, environmental responsibility, and the importance of teamwork. It also inspired me to keep advocating for sustainability in my daily life.”

Reflection Ideas 

While written reflections are often the main way that students reflect in CAS, there are other ways that you can reflect on your CAS experience. In fact research on student reflections point out that students benefit from reflecting in a variety of ways. CAS reflections need to be made on Managebac, which has the option of uploading various file types, allowing you to use various methods to reflect. Do keep in mind that for some methods you will need to record or scan and upload digital versions on Managebac. Possible methods to reflect include:

Written reflections (often referred to as a journal):

• Do not need to be written in formal prose, but may be point form

• Short Twitter style comments can still provide for powerful reflections

• In Figure 2 below you….

Oral reflections

• During interviews with your CAS Advisor (Tutor).

• During discussions with your activity supervisor

• Discussions with other group members (where applicable)

• Record your own podcast and upload in Managebac

Visual

• Murals

• Creative design

• Sculpture

• Collage

Creative

• A comic strip

• A drama performance

• Poetry

• A letter to the editor / an editorial

• A word cloud (wordle)

• A video / short film

• Animation

Quick Tips 

• Be honest: Reflect on the good and the challenging moments.
  
  

• Be specific: Avoid “It was fun” — explain why.

• Use Learner Passport language : Mention the competences (Interacting with the World, interacting with Others...)

• Use IB language: Mention Learner Profile traits (risk-taker, communicator, balanced, reflective).

• Update regularly: Write short notes after each session to make it easier to summarise later.