STAGE 5
Q: How will we reflect and what will we reflect on?
The REFLECT phase is an essential bridge between learning and meaningful action. In this stage, learners engage in thoughtful self-assessment, peer dialogue, and feedback from community stakeholders to deepen understanding, consider diverse perspectives, and refine their purpose. Reflection helps students connect their knowledge, values, and emotions to the real-world challenges they are addressing—building the self-awareness, empathy, and critical thinking needed for sustained impact. Reflection should happen along each step of the Empathy to Impact process, not just at the end. Informed and meaningful feedback and reflection throughout the process assures that student projects are iterative (responsive + sustainable) and not projects that are static or one-off.
REFLECT steps:
Step 1 Determine what students will reflect on:
As an educator team determine if students will be reflecting on you schoolwide learning outcomes, graduate profile, competencies, Learner profile attributes or ATLs, service learning outcomes, or develop reflection questions linked to your mission statement.
Step 2: Determine how and when students will reflect
Will we use a physical journal? Will we create a vlog? Will we use a website, a slide deck, a portfolio, etc. or will we use a combination of the follow approaches to capture student reflections and growth? Please remember to choose an approach that is engaging, not onerous for students or educators, and is linked to a type of reflection or assessment and reporting that you already use at your school if possible.
Extension Considerations:
Involve Stakeholder and Peer Feedback:
Facilitate structured opportunities for learners to receive and reflect on feedback from peers, teachers, and community members or experts. Use tools like reflection rubrics or video responses to make reflection actionable and visible.Integrate journaling, discussion protocols, and formative self-assessments throughout the unit—not just at the end—to help students track their growth in empathy, skills, and project impact over time.
Encourage students to revisit their initial inquiry questions or intentions based on new insights or challenges encountered. This supports adaptive thinking and ethical decision-making in their path toward impact.