Frequently in the Daily Deac I pre-post content to be published later that day or that week. Today I had planned to have the info below go. In the interim, there was a crime off campus. Students have received emails about it, as have parents and families. I wanted to acknowledge that the pre-post below is not an insensitivity to the campus situation. Thanks, Betsy
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One of the themes that I tend to repeat in the Daily Deac is my observation of the busy-ness of students and their jam-packed schedules. With that comes my sense of chagrin that the sheer amount of activities they cram in a day or a week leaves them little time to reflect on what they are doing, what they are learning, how they are feeling, and so forth. I worry that if we (myself included) are always on the go and never reflecting along the way, life can feel like a never-ending gerbil wheel and you can miss some self-awareness or other valuable lessons.
This exercise comes from a class that I am taking, and it has been a pretty solid way to encourage reflection. And it’s quite simple really. You just answer these questions, using the following instructions as a guide:
“Express your personal feelings (not intellectualized or general statements). Keep comments short and to the point. Make a statement but don’t try to explain or defend it.
I learned that I…
I relearned that I…
I realized that I…
I noticed that I…
I discovered that I…
I was surprised that I…
I was pleased that I…
I was displeased that I…
I [insert verb here] that I…
I was [insert verb here] that I…
Full credit goes to Dr. Jewell Cooper at the UNC-G School of Education for this exercise.
If your Deac would be open to the idea of reflecting on the semester thus far, or a particular class, or something in his/her extracurricular life, etc. this could be a worthwhile activity to help bring clarity.
