Heading Into Summer: 3 Questions for Teacher Reflection

In my 30 years of working in public education, the end of the school year often brought on conflicting feelings. On one hand, I was exhausted and could hardly believe I made it through another school year; on the other, I was excited to head into summer and do the things I loved but hadn't had time for. At times, I felt happiness as I thought about the year we had, paired with sadness that my students were moving on without me. And sometimes I felt frustration sitting alongside a whole lot of gratitude. If you are experiencing something similar, pausing to reflect on your year—with just a few simple questions—may be just what you need to make sense of it all.

In 1993, long before Montana was known for shows like Yellowstone, I was a college senior majoring in Elementary Education at the University of Montana, Missoula. My student teaching placement was in a third-grade classroom at Paxson Elementary School, just a short walk from campus. I was excited, nervous, and not quite sure I was ready to teach 8- and 9-year-olds.

My cooperating teacher was well known and highly respected in the community. My professors told me I was lucky to have been placed with Ms. Voermans—and they were right. I learned more from watching her teach 3rd graders than I ever learned in a college classroom. At the end of my first day, spent watching her teach, we sat down together to debrief. She asked me three questions:

What went well?
What didn't?
What would you do differently?

This line of questioning caught me off guard. Not because I didn't have an answer, but because I hadn't expected the questions. When she asked, "What went well?" it was easy to answer because everything Ms. Voermans did seemed perfect. She was the definition of a master teacher—and I was in awe. Looking back, I realize she was teaching me something important with this first question: always start with the good. Honoring what went well sets a tone that keeps self-reflection focused and constructive, not merely critical.

When she asked, "What didn't?", I was really thrown off. How could I ever come up with something that didn't go well, let alone have the courage to tell her? I remember stumbling through my answer, which was about a certain student who tended to blurt out rather than raise his hand. Ms. Voermans encouraged me to watch a little more closely the next day. In hindsight, I recognize that identifying what didn't go well isn't about dwelling on the negative; it's about awareness.

Her last question, "What would you do differently?", left me speechless. I didn't know how to respond because I simply didn't know what I would do differently, and didn't feel I had the expertise to tell her how it could be done. Upon reflection, this question made the biggest impact on me. It led me to consciously look for ways things could be done differently, and recognize that this creates opportunities for improvement, correction, and growth.

At the end of our first-day debrief, Ms. Voermans asked me to jot down a response to these three questions in a notebook each day. On Fridays, we would go through my notebook and discuss the answers. I learned so much from our discussions, and as I slowly took on more responsibilities teaching the class, my entries became much more productive and meaningful.

By the end of the school year, I had become a reflective practitioner, something I never expected could happen from such a simple practice. Answering these three questions became a habit that I carried throughout my years as a teacher and proved especially helpful at the end of each school year. Heading into summer, when I felt conflicted about how everything had gone, reflecting on these three simple questions helped me make sense of it all.

I am thankful to Ms. Voermans for many things, but teaching me this practice may be the greatest gift she gave me. As you head into your well-deserved summer break, I invite you to try it yourself. Grab a notebook, find a quiet moment, and ask: What went well? What didn't? And what would you do differently?

Do you engage in reflection? If so, please share your reflection practice in the comments.