during each class period, require the students to self-reflect on the quality of
their work. In addition to providing formative assessment for the teacher, self-reflection provides selfawareness
of students’ efforts and helps them to associate their learning efforts with the evaluation and
grades they will ultimately receive for their work (Maday, 2008). The importance of self-assessment
and self-reflection is discussed in This We Believe as follows:
In developmentally responsive middle schools, assessment procedures also reflect the unique
characteristics of young adolescents. Assessment should emphasize individual progress rather
than comparison with other students and should not rely on extrinsic motivation. The goal is
to help students discover and understand their own strengths, weaknesses, interests, and
aptitudes. Student self-assessment helps develop a fair and realistic self-concept. p. 26
An example of an appropriate self-reflection prompt is: Think about your learning today and, using a
scale from one through ten with ten being the best, rate the quality of your work. Then, in a well
developed paragraph explain why you chose the rating/number you selected. Additionally you can
prompt: describe something you did and/or learned well today and describe something that still poses a
challenge for you.