20 Self-Reflection Questions to Get Learners Thinking
Self-reflection presents some of the most powerful instructional opportunities in our classrooms and workplaces. Its potency is in how it exercises multiple skills.
We're talking about the skills that make our students successful, such as critical thinking, personal responsibility, useful failure, adaptability, and more. Self-reflection questions play a part in the debriefing stage of any learning venture, and they act as a way for learners to get used to assessing themselves as they look back on what they accomplished.
The reflective stage is often overlooked, but in truth, it should be considered a crucial stage of learning. When we debrief a project we reflect on everything including the process, the choices and discoveries we made, and what didn't go quite as expected. It's when we piece them all together into a learning experience—even one or more "Aha!" moments—that reflective learning becomes real.
Ultimately, it comes down to asking the right self-reflection questions. After all, we want to inspire deep thinking in our kids about their learning journeys. For example, how has what we've learned made us better? How can we apply our new knowledge to other problems? What is its significance in the real world?
20 Self-Reflection Questions for Learning
In a modern classroom, learners are involved in the evaluation of their learning using both self- and peer assessment strategies. It is through these assessments they develop ownership of the solution and a sense of agency. The following list of self-reflection questions is ideal for any learner to look back on their learning with, as well as feel good moving forwards into other learning. They are designed to exercise the qualities we listed previously—res[ponsibility, accountability, insight, ownership, and agency.
What questions would you add to this list?
Now that it's over, what are my first thoughts about this overall project? Are they mostly positive or negative?
What were some of the most interesting discoveries I made while working on this project? About the problem? About myself? About others?
What were some of my most challenging moments and what made them so?
What were some of my most powerful learning moments and what made them so?
What is the most important thing I learned personally?
When did I realize that I had come up with my final best solution?
How do I feel my solution relates to real-world situations and problems?
What most got in the way of my progress, if anything?
How well did I and my team communicate overall?
When did my collaborative communications fall short of the group's expectations, if ever?
What were some things my teammates did that helped me to learn or overcome obstacles?
How did I help others during this process? How do I feel I may have hindered others?
Were my milestones and goals mostly met, and how much did I deviate from them if any?
What did I learn were my greatest strengths? My biggest areas for improvement?
What would I do differently if I were to approach the same problem again?
What moments was I most proud of my efforts?
What could I do differently from a personal standpoint the next time I work with the same group or a different one?
What's the one thing about myself above all others I would like to work to improve?
How can I better support and encourage my teammates on future projects?
How will I use what I've learned in the future?
