We first learned of Anna's trouble with her mother and her eventual move from the house during a reflection. With that added information, we were able to try to minimize the affect of Anna's home life on her performance and focus on her attainment of the standard. Building Better Learners Making Results Speak to Students Students are often harsh self-critics. We use reflection to transform this criticism into effective plans for improvement. Perhaps more important, students examine their successes so that they can build better understandings of themselves as learners.
Writing is a good way for students to analyze their skills and growth.
We ask students on an on-going basis to comment on their development as writers. Before students took a district-level persuasive writing test, for example, we asked them to write a position paper about foreign affairs. Teachers and students examined the essays following a district rubric. Students then identified areas to improve their writing when participating in the district assessment. When we received the district test results, we saw more students scored at higher levels.