Image via WikipediaReflecting on one’s progress in life to make themselves a better person, internally and externally, is vital to keep making positive changes.
A recent set of reflection journal questions were posed to cause students to evaluate this process of learning to think on their own, to answer their own questions. Not only do the students reflect on their progress, but these types of questions offer me feedback. Using this feedback is important as the teacher to see what needs to be adjusted, clarified, or reinforced. It is a two way street for learning about ourselves.
The questions were:
1. How do you feel when I tell you that you are asking me a question that you can answer yourself?
2. What are you learning when I do this?
3. Do you think you will become more confident in your abilities to solve problems on your own?
I would like to share some of my students’ thoughts.
The following are responses to the first question.
Student A: “I feel good because you won’t always have someone around you to ask questions so we will have to learn to answer our own questions.”
Student B: “I feel smart because I can answer it on my own.”
Student C: “I had the answer right in front of me, all I had to do was to take my time and find it, figure it out!’
Student D: “I feel that I’m not thinking before I ask, and not giving me a chance to answer the question.”
Student E: “I feel silly because if I thought about it, I could figure it out on my own.”
The following are responses to the second question.
Student A: “I learn that some questions you ask you don’t always need help finding the answer. You can answer your own question without anyone helping you.”
Student B: “I’m learning to answer my own questions because I am capable of doing it.”
Student C: “Try to answer it myself and I when I exhausted all strategies, ask a question.”
Student D: “I learn that we answer our own question. We will be able to be better growing up.”
The following are responses to the third question.
Student A: I will be more confident to solve my own problems. This means I will try harder to think my own questions over.”
Student B: “Yes, because if I practice this a lot I will sharpen my thinking skills.”
Student C: “Yes I will feel confident because I will answer my own questions.”
As always, I write back to each student. I reminded all of them that it is all right to ask questions, especially when you are learning something new. The lesson to be learned is to give themselves credit and a chance to figure out things that they are more than capable of.
Empowerment.
Intrinsically thinking.
No comments:
Post a Comment