At the end of a year it is common to reflect upon the past 365 days. However, what we have found at Indi-ED is that we can benefit so much more from reflections like these if they are done regularly throughout the year.
For example:
- after presenting your weather report to your cohort
- throughout the different stages of your 3 month inquiry project
- several times during the school year with your parents and teacher through student led conferences
- periodically with one on one conversations with your teacher
- at the conclusion of a community connections event when you practice your conversational skills with local professionals
- at the end of each day with our afternoon meetings reflecting on what brought us joy that day, what is something new we learned, accolades, what are we most proud of, and the list goes on.
We like to reflect on a variety of things regularly throughout the year and always start with positives and then move on to things we’d like to change or improve upon.
Here were some things my cohort reflected on and shared before break:
- fond memories made
- having a conversation with Jane Goodall, raising chickens, planting a Florida Native pollinator garden, recreating the stock market and role playing as brokers and investors, rehearsing for your showcase performance in the park
- the goals that you set and accomplished
- getting on stage for the first time and presenting in front of a group, sharing what you learned about a topic that you are truly passionate about, climbing to the top of a wall at Vertical Ventures, to make new friends, and winning the YASS Parent Choice Award for your school
- values you are embracing and practicing such as kindness, open communication, respect, and courage that are helping you make new friends
- friends of all ages, cross cohorts, and connections with community members who want to support you and your interest
- new skills acquired
- from how to watercolor, solve a linear equation, write a thesis statement, balance a portfolio, organize, facilitate, identify price points, and raise money for the school at Localtopia, find the barycenter of two celestial objects…to how to collaborate more effectively with others.
- making a difference
- learning about, sharing, and raising money for foster kids that age out of a system without support, cleaning up trash at Clam Bayou, singing Christmas Carols for the elderly and children in group homes, doing an unexpected act of kindness daily, and educating the community about our marine ecosystem at the science festival.
Then we discussed the deltas (things you want to change), things that didn’t go as planned or new things you want to learn more about:
- how procrastinating on a project made it more stressful
- practicing a skill you struggle with for 15 minutes a day to push yourself and grow
- finding ways to be more organized and efficient with your time
- identifying strategies to help you with focusing
- focusing on your interest and what inspires you and dig into your existing knowledge on a deeper level
This process can serve as a pivotal moment that results in setting new goals, inspires us to make a bigger difference in the world we live in, learn more about things we don’t know yet or that we have struggled with learning, and/or change the way we are currently doing things so that we can find more joy each and every day.
Can you imagine how different your life might be today if you learned how to do this in elementary or middle school and it was a regular habit by the time you were an adult?
We hope that each and everyone of you are able to take a few moments for yourselves as we welcome a new year to do the same. Take the time to recognize what you have accomplished this past year and what you want to do with your time this next year so that you can feel the satisfaction that comes with growth, pursuing your dreams, and making a difference in this world.