Reflective activities

Ways of encouraging students to think more clearly about their own thinking, individually or in community

Do you have an activity that you would like to suggest?

Equity Unbound Activity

Annotate the Syllabus

Annotating the syllabus helps learners to read, make sense of, question, and discuss their learning.

Remi Kalir

Decolonising Academic Writing through Spoken Word Poetry

This is a great reflective activity to get students thinking about their writing.

Jenna Goddard, Carolyn Ives

Equity Unbound Activity

Gratitude Journal

Support students' wellbeing by suggesting a daily or periodic practice of gratitude, promote radical self-compassion.

Maha Bali, Nadine Aboulmagd, Hoda Mostafa, Azza Awwad

Equity Unbound Activity

Ice Cream / Broccoli: Reflection on Enjoyment and Value

Use this activity to structure students' reflections at the end of class or semester.

Maha Bali

Equity Unbound Activity

Ikigai: Help Students Find Their Purpose

This is a reflective activity that helps students to focus on their strengths and passions, and what they can do to make a positive impact on the world.

Maha Bali

Live, Love, Learn and Leave a Legacy

This is a reflective activity that can be done at the beginning of a semester to help students set their academic goals.

Maha Bali

Recommended resource

Loglines

A fun, text-based way to warm up or cool down a session or topic.

Maha Bali

Equity Unbound Activity

Pass the Paper

Create an opportunity for your students to connect through writing.

Sarah Silverman

Roses, Thorns, and Buds

This activity could be used as a warm-up or reflective activity at the end of a class.

Maha Bali

Sailboat Retrospective for Reflection

Use this reflective activity to bring students together to talk about their experiences at the end of a project.

Maha Bali

Equity Unbound Activity

Simple Metacognitive Activities

Some simple questions that can help students develop their metacognitive learning skills.

Maha Bali

Equity Unbound Activity

Spiral Journal

Promote focus and reflection while allowing individuals to compose responses thoughtfully and calmly in writing.

Maha Bali, Mia Zamora

Equity Unbound Activity

Start / Stop / Continue

Use this activity to help students to reflect on what's working for them and how to identify actions that can be taken to make improvements.

Maha Bali

Equity Unbound Activity

Theatre of the Oppressed: Image Theatre

To invite students to use their bodies to represent, collaboratively, an image of something that is worth discussing.

Maha Bali, Alex Fink, Tina Pippin, Sarita Shukla

Equity Unbound Activity

Thick Greetings

Try out a slower and more deliberate opportunity for everyone to introduce themselves.

Maha Bali, Mia Zamora, Autumm Caines, Laura Gibbs, Rebecca J. Hogue

Equity Unbound Activity

Tiny Demons / Drawing Monsters

Help students express and face their fears in a way that can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Lyse Edwards

Equity Unbound Activity

Two-Minute Paper

This is a great activity for capturing students’ learning, and helping the teacher to understand what students need to know more of, and what they enjoyed in class.

Maha Bali