My memories of the start of the school year are much stronger than my memories of the end of the year. I can easily recall August and September from each high school year but May and June are fairly fuzzy. Perhaps that’s because the beginning of something is so much more exciting than the end for me. The freshness that accompanies the start of a school year is so appealing, while the end is more of a let-down. I’m the type of person who enjoys the planning of a trip more than the actual trip, so I’m sure my personality has influenced what I remember of high school.

Although the end of the school year is full of activities it is valuable to find the time to incorporate some type of reflection into the to-do list. The key is to make it as painless as possible.

Tips for providing space for reflection

Celebrate with ice cream and talk about what went well this past school year
Create a pinterest board of successes from the school year
Ask a younger sibling to interview an older sibling
Provide an outline for a journal entry
Make use of social media and find 10 pictures that represent the highs and lows of the school year

Sample questions to use for reflection

What accomplishment this year are you most proud of?
What are the three most important study skills or habits you developed this year?
What was the most challenging part of this year for you?
If you could change one thing about this year, what would it be?
What is something that was hard for you at the start of the year but is easy now?
What was your favorite book that you read this year?
What was your favorite lab in science class?
What was the best piece of writing that you did this year? Why do you think it is your best?
What would your favorite teacher say about your achievements from this year?
In what class did you feel you made your biggest improvements?