Action Guide > Reflection > Toolbox for Personal Reflection
Toolbox for Personal Reflection
(In additional to using text studies from Section One for Jewish reflection, some of these activities can be adapted into Jewish reflection activities by integrating the Jewish texts or values studied. See starred questions in discusssion section below for examples.)
There are a wide variety of reflection techniques. Reflection activities can be as simple as a facilitated discussion or, by contrast, can incorporate varied forms of expression including writing, visual arts, dance, music, theater, photography, and oral presentations. The use of many different types of reflection activities will sustain the interest of participants and draw on their varied learning styles.
In every case, effective service-learning experiences provide opportunities for participants to reflect before, during, and after the service project. While topics for reflection can be connected to the learning objectives, they also include the unexpected “teachable moments” that occur during the service experience.
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Personal Reflection
Pre-project reflection: Ask open-ended questions to stimulate discussion,
such as:
> What are the reasons for conducting this particular service project?
> What are our goals for the project?
> ** According to the Jewish values we’ve studied, what should our goals for
the project be?
> In what ways can we prepare ourselves for the project?
> What do you expect the project to be like?
> What expectations do you have about the community/people that we will be working with/neighborhood we will be going to?
> What feelings do you have about the community/people we’ll be working
with/ neighborhood we are going to?
> ** According to the Jewish values we’ve identified, what should we take
into consideration when interacting with the people at the service site?
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Mid-project Reflection
> What did you notice at the service site?
> What did you see/smell/hear/taste/touch/feel?
> **Did you notice anything at the service site that reminded you of the
ideas studied in the Jewish texts?
> What is the community/neighborhood like? Is it different from what you
expected?
> What have you learned so far?
> Do you think we are on the right track to meet our goals for the project?
Adapted from The YMCA Service-Learning Guide: A Tool for Enriching the Member, the Participant, the YMCA, and the Community (YMCA, 2000).
> Are we doing what we originally set out to do? If not, is that okay? Or
should we change the project in some way?
> What are some of the frustrations of this project? Can we do anything
about them?
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After the project:
> What did you learn about the issue the agency addresses or the population
they serve?
> In what ways were your stereotypes or assumptions challenged?
> How responsive is the agency or partner organization to community
needs?
> In what ways is the agency or partner organization succeeding?
> Are there aspects of the organization’s work which you think should be
done differently?
> Would you want to serve with this organization again?
> In what ways does this service experience connect with your personal
values? Are there values that you have that it conflicts with?
> ** From a Jewish perspective, was the project successful?
> What did you learn from the project?
> Who benefited from your work?
> What further steps can you take to continue to address this need?
> Do you view your community differently because of your involvement in
this experience? If so, how?
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Sentence Stems
Read some sentence stems aloud and have participants write and/or share
their thoughts.
Examples:
> Today I learned...
> What surprised me about today was…
> The best thing about today/the best part of the day was…
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Journal Writing
Sample instructions: This is an opportunity for you to capture the present, to
hold on to what you have experienced, and to think about what you want to
take home with you.
Please respond to the following questions, and then feel free to write down or illustrate other thoughts that occur to you. (Include a selection of relevant questions from the discussion questions above.)
OR: Take a few minutes to think about the experiences you have had today. Think about the feelings, ideas, concerns, and dreams that you will take away with you as a result of your actions today. Please write down some of the key things that you want to remember about today.
OR: Think about and describe the most significant idea, concept, or insight you have discovered today. Why is it important to you?
OR: Imagine that you want to share this experience with a family member who is traveling on a ship. Write a 10-word telegram that describes your experience.
OR: What is one thing you are going to do that is new or different as a result of
this experience?
OR: Imagine you wanted to preserve one photograph or image from today, one moment to remember in the future or to share with your friends or family. Either draw that image or describe it in your journal.
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What, So What, Now What:
Have everyone answer three questions (written and then shared, written only,
or as a discussion):
What? So What? Now What?
What…did we do, see, hear, smell, touch, taste?
> So what…does it all mean/did you learn/did you enjoy the most?
> Now…where do we go from here?
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Grafitti Wall
(Note: On one wall of your room, post several large pages with one question per page.) Sample instructions: Please go over to the graffiti wall, where there are some questions to ponder and answer. Grab a marker and write down your own thoughts, ideas, feelings, and insights. Feel free to be anonymous or to identify your ideas by writing your name beside your comments.
> What is one word you would use to describe your experience today?
> What did you enjoy most about the day? Why?
> What are some of the concerns that you have about what you experienced
today?
> What was the funniest part of this experience for you?
> What is the most valuable thing you experienced or learned today and why
is it valuable to you?
> What is one thing that you intend to do differently as a result of what you
have learned today?
> What is one recommendation you would make to improve the process?
> How did you contribute to the learning of others today?
> What are some of the skills, talents, or abilities that you can contribute to
help this project succeed?
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Bumper Stickers
Sample instructions: Find a partner. Take a few minutes to talk to one another about the experiences you have had today. Share your ideas about the most important things that you have learned. Then create a bumper sticker that relates the essence of your joint experience.
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Skit
(Note: prepare a bag stuffed with various items. Some should relate to the project and some should not, e.g. a banana, a CD.) Sample instructions: With the other people in the group, develop a skit that includes some of the do’s and don’t’s you discovered in relation to your service project (for example, how to do certain tasks; how not to relate to other people). Please include the props found in this bag.
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Mind Mapping
Sample instructions: On an outline of a sun with rays or a wagon wheel drawn on newsprint, generate words that describe the experience that you have had today and the significant things you have felt, seen, or learned. Once you have generated 15-25 words, begin to develop sentences that include these words. Put all the words into sentences. Place the sentences in a sequential order, feeling free to add more ideas as you go. Once all of your words and senttences have been put into a paragraph form, invite someone in the group to read the paragraph out loud to the entire group when it reconvenes.
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Commercial
Sample instructions: As a small group, create a service-learning commercial to act out for the entire group. It should reflect some of the insights you have gained today. The purpose of this commercial is up to you. You may want to convince your community to support service-learning. You may want to sell your project to the next group of people to participate, etc. Your commercial may be of a serious or humorous nature. As with real TV, you can have up to one minute of air time for your commercial.
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Emotional Whip
In this exercise, the leader asks participants to show - with a word, body movement, or facial expression - how they feel right at that moment. Ask each person to show a reaction, one at a time and then ask each person to explain the feeling. This activity can give the facilitator a sense of the group mood and gives participants a chance to express how they feel.
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Visualization
Leaders should take participants on an imaginary tour of their service experieence. Ask participants to find a comfortable position (lying down on the floor, head on table, lounging in a chair), and close their eyes. Play relaxing instrumental music at a low volume. Ask participants to become aware of their breathing. Ask them to leave behind their present thoughts and clear their minds. Once the participants appear to have achieved a relaxed state, ask them to begin remembering their service experience. To assist them in remembering their experience, mention common events. Allow participants to remember how they felt before they performed the meaningful service, what their expectations were, what happened in their preparation, and how they felt during their service experience. To stimulate their thinking, you might mention some of what you remembered. Slowly bring them back to the present. Ask them to become aware of their surroundings, to again concentrate on their breathing, and to open their eyes when they are ready. Ensure that a quiet tone is maintained. Continue to play music. Ask each participant to share his or her reflections with the whole group.
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Group Banners
If you are coordinating a project where there are already small groups, keep participants in those groups. If not, then break the big group into groups of five or six. Supply each group with a piece of banner paper and markers and ask group members to depict their experience using a combination of words and pictures. Give them about 10-15 minutes. When they have finished, ask each team to share its banner with the whole group. Use the banners as a starting point for discussing and reflecting upon the experience.
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The Web
Have the group stand in a circle. Give someone the ball of string and ask them a question, or ask them to reflect on a particular question (e.g., what was one thing you learned today?). Once they have answered the question ask them to hold onto one end of the string and to throw the ball to someone else. Have the second person answer the same question, holding onto one end of the string and passing it on to the next person. Continue the process until everyone has reflected on the question. When everyone has spoken, you should have something that looks like a web. At this point, the leader should make points about the interconnectedness of people, how they were all part of the solutions, and how the outcome would be different if everyone had not participated.
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Time Capsule
As participants are preparing for a project, have them put memorabilia related to the process together in the form of a time capsule. This could include information about the topic they had researched, a training agenda, dirt from a gardening project, etc. In addition to the objects, ask participants to write down how they are feeling at different points of the project (what they expected before they began, how they felt about the preparation, how they felt the first time they did service as part of the project). Put everything into a “capsule” that will be opened, read aloud and discussed (perhaps anonymously) at the end of the experience. This is particularly good for a long-term project or for a long-term service-learning program.
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Before and After Pictures
Pictures are especially effective for cleanup or renovation projects. Ask participants to photograph, draw, color, paint, etc., pictures of the park before they begin to clean it up. Chances are the pictures will include trash, broken bottles, rusty playground equipment, etc. After the project is complete, have the participants create a second picture. Lay the pictures side by side and let them discuss the changes and positive impact they made.
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