TRY THIS TOMORROW: TEEN REFLECTIONS AS MENTOR TEXTS
New York Times Learning Network posted What Teenagers Are Saying About How They Grew and Changed This School Year which, as the title suggests, shares short student reflections on how students changed over the school year. Students write about growth, challenges, friendships, and shifting mindsets.
Use these as mentor texts before asking students to write their own reflections.
- Read Mentor Texts
Select 4–6 short excerpts from the article with a range of themes (academic growth, friendships, challenges, confidence).
As students read, ask:
- What stands out?
- What changed for the writer?
- What feels specific or honest?
- Mini-Lesson:
Model one excerpt with annotation to highlight:
- summary + reflection (what happened + what it meant/what changed)
- Transition phrases that signal change
- Details as evidence of change
Show students how many writers use transition language to signal the change, such as:
- “I used to…, but now…”
- “At first…, however…”
- “I not only…, but also…”
- “Even though…, I realized…”
- “Before…, now…”
Ask students to notice, across a few more mentor texts:
- Where does the writer show change?
- What words signal that shift?
- What details show evidence of change?
- Discuss to Generate Ideas
In pairs or groups:
- Which reflection feels most relatable?
- What patterns show up across responses?
- What experiences could you write about?
Students list possible writing topics.
- Write Own Reflection
Prompt:
How have you changed this school year?
- What did you learn about yourself?
- What shifted in your thinking or behavior?
- What do you understand differently now?
Students write more effectively when they first read models of real student reflection, talk about them, and identify possible ideas before drafting. Try this tomorrow or add it to your repertoire of ideas from last week’s post on 10 Ideas for Reflecting at the End of a School Year.