The students at University Heights School in New York City are
required to reflect on the Habits of Mind they have adopted when they
present their portfolios to a panel of judges. The following excerpt is a
reflection from one student:
Through “Thinking Critically and Questioning,” we investi-
gate questions, myths, and even proven knowledge. From that
we gain intelligence (learning from proof, not opinion) and expe-
riences to find what we believe to be the truth....
I learned the importance of an education. Ignorance is a
weakness. It fogs the mind and blurs the human eye. Only knowl-
edge can clear our visions of this weakening lack of thought....
I learned the value of our pride. In my opinion, those who
were forced to serve without pay were not slaves. They were cap-
tives to slaves of greed.
Now that I have this strengthened knowledge, I must apply
it to my life. But the success of that assignment can only be
judged by me. Only I know what is happiness and beauty in this
mind and it will take me an entire lifetime to apply what I have
learned to my existence.Developmental Issues
The work of educators at Croton Elementary School in Croton-on-
Hudson, New York, shows how the quality of students’ reflections changes
as children develop their reading and writing skills. When kindergartners
were asked to reflect orally, they gave rich descriptions of their work. But
as they developed their writing ability and were encouraged to write their
own reflections, the reflections became less descriptive. This change puz-
zled the teachers until they realized that students are more concerned
about spelling, punctuation, and other aspects of editing when they first
learn to write. Because students do not have a great deal of fluency with
their writing, they are more limited in what they describe.
In contrast, when meeting with the teacher, the kindergartners elab-
orated on what they wrote about their work. And once students became
Learning Through Reflection 229