I regularly like to take a step back and be honest with myself about how things are working in my classroom, but the end of the year is the absolute best time to find a quiet corner and really think about how the past year went. One thing I love about the teaching profession is the need to be a lifelong learner. Personal reflection helps you make improvements for future students and for your own experience as well. It’s the ultimate starting point for setting new goals for the new school year to come.
Reflection isn’t just about looking at what went wrong; it’s about celebrating what went right. As teachers, we are often our own harshest critics. By taking the time to answer these questions, you are honoring your hard work and giving yourself the mental space to grow professionally and personally.
So, grab a cup of tea, pick up a little treat, take a few deep breaths, and reflect.
I’ve broken these down into four categories to help you focus your thoughts. Don’t feel like you have to answer every single one—pick the ones that resonate with your experience this year.
What were some of your proudest professional moments this year?
What areas do you feel like you have grown and improved as a teacher?
What would you have liked to see yourself do more of this year?
What was a negative situation that you faced this year and handled in a positive way?
How do you think students have benefited from being in your classroom this year?
Which students do you think grew the most in your class? How?
Do you feel like you gave all of your students the best opportunity to grow and learn this year?
What were your biggest behavior challenges this year?
What strategies did you try to correct negative behaviors? What worked and what didn’t?
What would you do the same or differently next year to manage behavior?
Who was your most challenging student and why?
If you had to ask your students to give you feedback on your teaching, what responses do you think you would get?
What were some of your students’ favorite activities this year? Which motivated and engaged them the most?
What caused you the most stress or frustration this year?
How did you handle the stressful and frustrating times?
What do you think you could do next year to minimize stress?
If you had to rate the difficulty for getting through this year personally (1 being easy and 10 being ‘barely survived’), what rating would you give? Why?
How do you feel about your experience in the classroom this year? Did you enjoy it or find that you were always looking forward to the home bell?
What mistakes did you make this year? How can you avoid making them again next year?
What were the strengths of the strategies you used this year?
What strategies or approaches were not so successful? What were the outcomes?
In what ways did you make your lessons suitable for 21st Century Learners?
What opportunities did you give for your students to display what they know/learnt?
What were some important tips or ideas that you learnt from collaborating with other teachers?
What teaching/learning challenges did you face during this year?
How did you overcome those challenges?
What would you do differently next year compared to this year?
What would you do the same next year?
What are some new steps or strategies that you would like to try next year?
What are your goals as a teacher for next year?
To make this process even easier, I’ve turned these 30 questions into a beautiful, printable Teacher Reflection Journal. You can find it inside The Detective Vault! It’s the perfect way to track your professional growth year after year.
