Reflection Journals
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Reflection journals were where I was able to get a daily snapshot of where students were. In these journals I was able to provide feedback on social-emotional skills where they needed growth and also celebrate the strengths they had. These journals allowed a safe space for students to self-reflect and gain feedback from the teacher. While many days students did not know what to put, usually by the end of the week students had a grasp of the skills they needed to improve and skills they felt strong in. Below are student examples from their reflection journals.
Journal 1
This student throughout the six-week action plan research was able to open up and share their struggles and celebrations with me. They were able to reach out for help when they realized they just weren't happy in daily life and how to navigate those emotions they have never encountered before. Throughout this time, we discussed going out and connecting with peers. This student is shy and struggles sometimes to find people who will listen to them. In their venture for peers they could connect with and who was experiencing similar things with, they ended up bonding with the student from Journal 2 and building a friendship with them.
Journal 2
This student was struggling with overcoming toxic friendships. She had been friends with three other girls in sixth grade for all her years in school. She was realizing after one-on-one discussions with me and discussions with them as a group, that this friendship was not a good fit for them right now. We discussed those scary feelings of joining other groups and finding other people to connect with. This student ended up bonding with the student from the Journal 1 image. They were able to connect and have a friend who will listen and see the positives/happy moments in the world.