190 Self Reflection Questions For Students

Teachers can use self reflection questions to help students learn.

Reflection questions can also provide insightful observations and ideas that educators can use to improve both teaching and learning.

The list of questions below can be used at the end of a lesson, project, semester, and end-of-the-year reflection.

These must-use questions will encourage self-reflection in students and enable growth. 

End Of The Year Reflection Questions For Students

1. In what ways did you grow as a student this year? Reflect on your skills, study habits, and mindset.
2. Which type of feedback motivated you the most over the past year?
3. What is the most important thing you accomplished this year that will remain with you for the rest of your life?
4. In what ways do the lessons you learned this year relate to other content areas and real life?
5. Was there a challenging situation that you overcame this year?
6. Was there something you accomplished this year that you are particularly proud of?
7. In what area did you make the most progress?
8. In what way did you grow as a person this year?
9. Is there anything someone in your class has done for you this year that you found particularly nice?
10. How did you help the class accomplish its broader goals this year?
11. How did you make it easier for others to participate in class this year? 
12. How can you support your classmates better next year?
13. What advice would you give students taking this class next year?
14. Is there someone from our school who has made the most significant impact in your life this year? Who is that person, and why?
15. Is there anything the teacher could have done to improve your year?
16. If you could send a letter back in time to yourself at the start of the school year, knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self?
17. What was your most memorable activity from this year?
18. What is your favorite part of the day in our class? Why?
19. Where is your favorite place in our classroom? Why?
20. What would you change about this year if you could?

Watch the steps in Gibb’s Reflective Cycle for The Art of Reflection below:

End Of Semester Reflection Questions

1. Describe a significant event that took place this semester. What made it meaningful?
2. What skills have you learned this semester? How did you develop those skills?
3. What achievements are you most proud of this semester?
4. How could this semester have been improved?
5.  In what areas did you excel?
6. In what areas did you struggle?
7. Do you have any changes you wish to make going forward, and what steps will you have to take?
8. How did this semester go for you?
9. Was there anything you enjoyed in the semester (activities, assignments, class routines, etc.)?
10. Which part of the semester was the least enjoyable for you (my class, any other class, remote learning in general)?
11. Do you think you gave it your all this semester? If not, what struggles did you face that made school challenging?
12. What was the most valuable lesson you learned this semester?
13. What was the most challenging part of this semester?
14. In what way did you care for yourself this semester? On an emotional, mental, or physical level?
15. What was your most significant character trait this semester?
16. What have you not done this year that you wished you had done?
17. Have you learned anything new about the world this year? What about yourself?
18. What do you wish you knew at the beginning of the year? How would things have been different if you knew them?
19. Has your perspective changed since the beginning of the year?
20. Do you still need to overcome any challenges?
21. What’s one thing that went badly or that you wish you’d handled differently? How can you learn from that moment?
22. What would you do differently in the future?
23. Is there something you would like to improve on?
24. In the coming year, what challenges or opportunities do you wish to conquer or embrace? 

Self Reflection Questions For Students

Here are some end of day reflection questions that students can use for deeper learning in all aspects of life.  

1. Among my personal learnings, what has been the most significant?
2. How did I come to appreciate those moments of learning?
3. In general, did I meet my milestones and goals, and if so, how much did I deviate from them?
4. Did I discover my greatest strengths? Where do I need to improve?
5. At what point was I most proud of my efforts?
6. What is the one thing I would like to improve about myself more than anything else?
7. What was my mindset before, during, and after the lesson?
8. How do misunderstandings differ from not understanding?
9. In your opinion, what are some problems at the school that adults should be addressing? How can these issues be resolved?
10. How could you positively approach adults with these problems and solutions?
11. How could you share this knowledge with your parents and family members?
12. What are the benefits of students having positive relationships in a school?
13. What can you do to improve your relationships with your peers?
14. Could you say something positive about each of your classmates?
15. Are there any ways the adults in school could help you improve your relationships with your classmates?
16. How do your classmates help you learn?
17. What are some things you do in the classroom that you think can help others learn?
18. How do you learn most from class activities or assignments?
19. Is there anything you would like to know more about (in the present, this week, this year, etc.)?
20. How can you apply what you have learned in your own life?
21. What steps are you taking today to help you reach your goals in the future?
22. What are you hoping to achieve?
23. What are some of the obstacles you might face in pursuit of your dreams? What can you do to overcome them?

Watch a video below about personal empowerment through reflection and learning:

Exit Ticket Questions

Exit tickets are an excellent tool to gauge how much students have understood from their class lessons. Exit ticket questions allow students to reflect on their work at the end of a school day and provide student-teacher feedback. Here are some exit ticket question examples:

1. Why was today’s lesson important to you, and what did you learn from it?
2. What would you like us to cover if we go over one thing again in the next lesson?
3. What one change would improve the learning process in this class?
4. What was your favorite part of today’s group activity? Would it have been better to do the activity or task alone?
5. Did you make any mistakes in class today? What can you do to improve?
6. Is there anything you’ve done recently to make yourself a better learner?
7. Is there anything you’re currently working on to make yourself a better learner?
8. Explain what it means to be an effective learner.
9. How much effort did you put into your learning today?
10. What would motivate you to put more effort into learning tomorrow?
11. Was today challenging for you in any way?
12. Do you need any help achieving your learning goals?
13. Would you say that you feel supported in this class? Why or why not?
14. Tell me about one of your favorite extracurricular activities.
15. Does your working environment at home suit your needs?
16. Are there any resources you need to succeed in school? 

Reflection Questions For Students After A Lesson

Learning through reflection is an ongoing process. These questions will guide students in reflective practice and assist in deeper thinking at the end of a lesson.

1. How well did you understand today’s lesson?
2. How did you contribute in class today?
3. In what ways can you apply what you learned today to your own life?
4. In what ways can you apply what you learned today to another class or subject?
5. What steps did you take today to achieve your goal?
6. Can you relate anything from today’s lesson to what you’ve learned today?
7. What did you learn today about working with others?
8. Was there anything that frustrated you today?
9. Would you do anything differently next time?
10. How would you rate your day on a scale of 1-10, with ten being the best? Why?
11. Did you encounter any problems today? How did you resolve them?
12. Were you able to complete all your work today? Why or why not?
13. Tell me about one of the things you did in class today.
14. What would you like to be explained to you more clearly?

Reflection Questions For Students After A Project

The following reflective questions include behavioral questions that can help promote positive communication between students and teachers. 

1. How did you feel about your work during this project?
2. Have you learned any new skills or acquired any knowledge during this project?
3. What was your experience working with other students on this project? Tell us about it.
4. What would you do differently if you were to try this project again?
5. What skills do you hope to acquire or improve by completing this project? 
6. Is there anything you can do during this project to maximize your chances of gaining these skills?
7. How did this project allow you to learn more about your abilities, or how did it improve your skills in this area?
8. After completing this project, what did you learn about your likes/dislikes, and what areas could you improve to prepare for future employment?
9. What are your next steps for developing your skills and gaining experience?
10. What part of your project didn’t go as planned or failed?
11. Are there any areas where you could improve your handling of the situation in terms of both your strengths and potential areas for improvement?
12. How will these observations prepare you for the challenges you’ll face in a future workplace? 
13. When working on this project, what challenges did you encounter, and how did you overcome them? How did those differences contribute to the success of the project?
14. Which areas of your leadership did you succeed in, and how could you improve? What opportunities outside this class could you pursue to further develop your skills?
15. How has this class changed your perspective on your discipline? 
16. As a member of a team or individually, how did you work on your projects? How did you contribute to them? How did they turn out? 

Reflection Questions For Students After A Test 

1. When you took the exam, what percentage did you think you had earned (out of 100%)?
2. How long did it take you to prepare for the test?
3. Did you bring everything you needed with you to the exam? 
4. Which concepts and topics did you feel most confident answering?
5. What emotions did you experience during the test? Was there anything you did to deal with stress?
6. What study activities/strategies worked best for you? Will you continue to use them?
7. Do you need to change your study habits or activities? Why?
8. Was your study schedule realistic? Did you complete your tasks within the time allotted?
9. Did you receive support from family, friends, tutors, counselors, teachers, or other students?
10. What did you learn about yourself during this experience?
11. Which study strategies worked best for you? What was the least effective?
12. What was your study schedule like? How did you manage your time?
13. Was it easy for you to determine what the exam would cover? What can you do better?
14. Were the instructions you were given for the exam clear and easy to follow?
15. Were you able to stick to your time plan?
16. How much time did you spend on questions that had a significant impact on your final score?
17. Do you find yourself more or less comfortable answering certain topics and concepts?
18. Which kinds of questions are easier for you to answer? Which do you find most challenging?
19. As you took the test, how were you feeling? Were you stressed?
20. Make a list of three or four strategies you can implement to improve your performance
21. and preparation for your next exam. 

Math Reflection Questions For Students

1. How would you sum up the main mathematical concepts or ideas that you learned today or that we discussed today in class? 
2. Do you consistently participate in mathematics class discussions and play a significant role in directing them?
3. As a student, what did you do to feel successful in your math class this year?
4. Please give examples.
5. Describe how you or your group addressed the problem set this week. Was your strategy successful? Have you learned anything from your approach? 
6. What is your favorite aspect of your math experience?
7. What is your greatest challenge in math class?
8. Does the lesson encourage multiple approaches to solving problems?
9. In the questions, how much emphasis is placed on mathematical thinking (processes, strategies, and solutions) rather than correct answers?
10. What was today’s big mathematical discussion? Which part did you find most interesting?
11. Which math course(s) should you take next year? 

Reflection Questions For Writing

1. Over the course of the semester, how has your writing changed?
2. Have you made any improvements to your writing?
3. In general, what are your goals as a writer?
4. Would you consider your writing style to be effective?
5. What writing strategies have you used to attract readers’ attention?
6. Did you successfully demonstrate your writing skills in this essay?
7. What writing process did you use to produce this paper?
8. In your current capacity as a writer, what are the strengths and weaknesses you possess?
9. When you first wrote this piece, what obstacles did you encounter, and what did you learn?
10. What did you do to overcome those obstacles?
11. In what ways has your writing improved since writing your last piece?
12. According to your experience writing this paper and/or others, what advice would you offer your classmates about writing?
13. How would you rate your strengths and weaknesses as a writer at this time?
14. Do you think others would enjoy reading this piece to the end?
15. How do readers view your piece? 
16. Did you incorporate reader feedback into your piece? Do any aspects of the feedback conflict with your vision for the piece? 

Career Reflection Questions For Students

Teens might be thinking about their future careers, and these career-related reflection questions can be an awesome tool and help guide them towards making the right career decisions. 

1. What are my most valuable skills?
2. How do I perceive myself?
3. Am I interested in any particular career paths? 
4. How has my perception of my career options been influenced by who?
5. In what three areas do I find myself most passionate?
6. What jobs would I consider as a parallel plan? (Plan B, Plan C, etc.)
7. Is there anything I can uncheck from my list of career options?
8. Which topics or ideas spark my interest?
9. Is there anything I am passionate about? What would I spend hours discussing?
10. Which classes have I enjoyed the most?
11. What extracurricular activities are my favorites? What have I learned about myself from participating in these activities?
12. Is there anyone I aspire to be like? How are they inspiring or motivating to me?
13. What personal qualities would I consider my strengths to be?
14. Which activities make me feel happy or energized?
15. In what situations am I at ease and comfortable?
16. In what ways am I learning from my experiences?
17. What does success mean to me?
18. What would I do if I had a guarantee of success?
19. What were my most inspiring or motivating moments?
20. What three jobs interest you the most, according to how you were matched based on your results?
21. What do you do if the results of your career interest assessment do not align with the career you would like to pursue?
22. Do you think your career goals have changed since you took the career assessment?
23. As I explore my future opportunities, who in my life is a mentor that I can look up to?
24. What is the cost of post-high school education, and how will I pay for it?
25. In order to support my post-secondary goals, what type of degree or certificate do I need?
26. What career-oriented courses would be beneficial to me?
27. What schools offer related degrees or majors?
28. Am I eligible for financial aid or scholarships?
29. In case I need to fund my education, can I find/maintain employment? 

Additional Reflection Questions

What are reflection questions?

Any question that makes students reflect upon what or how they have learned is referred to as a reflection question. Metacognitive skills, otherwise known as thinking about how we think and learn, are often assessed through reflection questions. Student reflection questions help ignite critical thinking about learning and lead to growth. 

Why is reflection important for students?

There are several reasons why reflection questions are important. These sorts of questions promote reflection among students, allowing them to:

• Become more aware of who they are as learners, thinkers, and community members
• Encourage future learning through generating questions and ideas
• Learn and practice the knowledge and skills they have acquired during a lesson
• Give their teachers and classmates valuable feedback

Hopefully, you found this a helpful article and that these questions will inspire lifelong learning in students. Share some of these questions with students and ask them to write down their answers on a piece of paper. Students and teachers can use these significant exercises to reach a break-through moment in class.