Reflection: The Forgotten Step

Reflection is often the forgotten piece of the learning process.  It is what comes after the teaching.  Reflecting upon a concept is sometimes viewed as difficult to do because some students (and even some teachers) are not worried about actually retaining information.  Some only learn information for a test just to earn a good grade.  There are teachers who only teach in order for the students in this short-term manner, as well.  Reflection requires legitimate thinking; there are no short-cuts involved.  Even the teachers who do believe reflection is important fail to incorporate it into their lessons because they fear the students will not comply.  I believe students will not refuse to reflect, as long as the process is set up properly.  Simply asking students what they have learned will not add up to a worthwhile conversation.  Approaching reflection in the same way as actually learning information is what works -- CREATIVITY is necessary!  Have students write about what they have learned and how it might be useful.  Have the students blog about their learning experiences! A good way to ensure that reflection will indeed occur is to have everyone fill out a K-W-L chart.  By first figuring out what students know and want to know about a topic, they become more conscious and alert while they are actually learning, leading to a better "reflective conversation" at the end of the process.  This reflection is key -- students are more likely to remember what they have learned if they are given the chance to look back and reflect upon it.