Maintain and Modify | Facing History & Ourselves

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Collection Establishing Opening and Closing Routines
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A student in a grey sweatshirt looks down at a paper with a pencil in hand.
Activity

Maintain and Modify

Students identify their strengths and areas for growth in a journal reflection.

Subject

  • Advisory
  • Civics & Citizenship
  • English & Language Arts
  • History
  • Social Studies

Grade

6–12

Language

English — US

Published

Updated

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Overview

About This Activity

This routine helps students and the class develop self-awareness by identifying their strengths and growth areas in a journal reflection and then debriefing with their peers.

Preparing to Teach

Teaching Strategies

These are the teaching strategies referenced in this activity. You may wish to familiarize yourself with them before using this activity.

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Procedure

Steps for Implementation

At the end of the lesson, project the following questions one at a time for a quick journal reflection:

  • What helped me stay focused and engaged in class today that I should maintain
    or
    What helped us function well as a class today that we should maintain?
  • What’s something I should modify so I can improve my engagement and participation in this class?
    or
    What’s something we should modify so we can improve how we work together?

Debrief in a Wraparound activity, in pairs, or in small groups. Students can revisit their reflections in the future to see if they were able to make any of the modifications they identified.

Related Materials

Variations

At the end of a lesson, share the following questions on a Padlet, shared Google Doc, or individual exit cards:

  • What helped me stay focused and engaged in class today that I should maintain
    or
    What helped us function well as a class today that we should maintain?
  • What’s something I should modify so I can improve my engagement and participation in this class?
    or
    What’s something we should modify so we can improve how we work together?

Acknowledge the habits and skills that students want to maintain, and highlight one or two that they would like to modify in the future. In the next synchronous lesson, review their goals so they can hold themselves and one another accountable for trying to meet them.

Related Materials

Collection

Establishing Opening and Closing Routines
Activity

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