June

For our final SEL Community Meeting of the year, students are encouraged to reflect on their SEL learning across the year and evaluate which topics and activities resonated with them and their peers. In doing so, students are granted the opportunity to think back on the year and share what they learned. A meta-analysis examining learning practices shared the following findings about the act of reflecting:

“Reflection is widely acknowledged as a crucial skill for successful learning and decision-making. Recent evidence has shown that reflection can enhance motivation for in-depth learning, improve cognitive and metacognitive strategies, and promote self-regulated learning . . . Reflection is not just about experiencing but also about contemplating what has been experienced. Dewey (1933) characterized reflection as an active and ongoing state in which learners continuously consider, revisit, and revise their beliefs or presumed knowledge . . . Boud et al. (1985) described reflection as an intellectual and affective activity in which learners return to their experiences, attend to their emotions, and evaluate those experiences to construct knowledge. Reflection was also viewed as a continuous and iterative process in which learners review, analyze, and evaluate their experiences, drawing on prior theories or knowledge to formulate action plans for future experiences. Previous evidence has indicated that reflection not only facilitates conceptual understanding but also enhances problem-solving abilities and metacognitive awareness, promotes engagement in the learning process, and boosts learning confidence” (Zhai et al., 2023).

Reflection has also been shown to contribute to insight, a statistically significant predictor of psychological well-being: "Reflecting on the consequences of one’s own actions and drawing conclusions seem to promote greater clarity and understanding of one’s thoughts and behaviors, which are the essence of insight and thus contribute to an increase in psychological well-being," (Czyżowska & Gurba, 2021). The end of the school year invites students to reflect on all of their academic progress and achievement throughout the year. By emphasizing student reflection on social emotional learning, we underscore its importance and lay the groundwork for continued learning next year.

Czyżowska, N., & Gurba, E. (2021). Does Reflection on Everyday Events Enhance Meaning in Life and Well-Being among Emerging Adults? Self-Efficacy as Mediator between Meaning in Life and Well-Being. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(18), 9714. ;

Zhai, N., Huang, Y., Ma, X., Chen, J. (2023). Can reflective interventions improve students' academic acheivement? A meta-analysis, Thinking Skills and Creativity, 49, 101373.

To support the theme of reflection at home, please feel free to explore the following discussion questions!

• What was your favorite memory of the school year?

• How have you changed this year?

• What have you gotten better at this year?

• Which friendships have grown for you this year?

• What’s something you learned about yourself this year?

• How has your personal style changed this year?

• What’s your favorite funny memory of the year?

• What was something challenging for you this year?

• What was your favorite field trip this year?

• What was your favorite class activity or project this year?

• What was your favorite book you read this year?

• What was your favorite piece of writing this year?

• What was your favorite subject this year?

• What was your favorite special this year?