Reflection
The International Baccalaureate is centered upon the learner profile which includes ten attributes that encompass the ideal learner. Among these is "reflective." IB students are expected to "thoughtfully consider the world and [their] own ideas and experiences. [They] work to understand [their] strengths and weaknesses in order to support [their] learning and personal development."
Positive growth is difficult to achieve without reflection, but this isn't an easy concept for students to understand. It is important to note that reflection shouldn't be just at the end of a CAS experience, but throughout. Your reflections should also demonstrate your achievement toward the aims in the learner profile and should encompass the ways of knowing. Here are some questions to help you.
What do I expect to learn from this experience?
What goals do I expect to accomplish?
What learner objectives do you hope to meet?
What are you excited/concerned about as you begin this activity?
Identify your own strengths and develop areas for growth
What challenges did you have difficulty with?
What challenges were you able to overcome easily?
What areas of the experience were you drawn to (i.e., working with people, promotion, organization, writing proposals, leadership, etc.)
What areas of the experience surprised you in their difficulty?
Undertake new challenges
What part of your experience is new/unfamiliar to you?
Why did you choose to take on this challenge?
How do you plan to meet this challenge?
If you weren't able to meet the challenge, what went poorly? What would you change next time?
What skills did you develop through your experience?
How can your newly acquired skills be used in other areas?
Plan and initiate activities
What research/investigation did you do prior to your activity?
Did you change or modify any aspect of your activity after investigating it?
Were you able to meet your deadlines/timelines?
In initiating your activity, were you able to communicate your expectations to others involved?
How did you organize yourself and your activity?
Show commitment and perseverance
What drove you to persevere throughout your experience?
Where there times when you wanted to abandon your activity? Why?
Did you gain confidence in yourself or your abilities by sticking to your goals?
Why is commitment important?
Work collaboratively with others
How were other involved in your experience?
What conflicts arose during your experience?
Were you surprised by anyone's behavior during your experience?
What proved most difficult when working with others?
How would you change your behavior or expectations when working with others in the future?
Did you discover strengths or limitations in your ability to communicate with others?
Engaged in global issues
Can any part of your experience be applied globally (i.e., you may be recycling locally, but that is a worldwide problem)
Is there a way to promote your activity on a larger scale?
What challenges might others face in partaking in a similar activity in another country or region?
Consider the ethics of choices or actions
In what ways did you act with integrity or honesty during your experience?
Were you in a position to do something unethical or morally questionable during your activity?
Were you required to follow any rules or guidelines in carrying out your experiences? Did you adhere to them?
Could any part of your experiences be seen as disrespectful or insensitive to any cultural/social/religious group? How did you address this?
