How students “should” REFLECT after semester is over?

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What to do AFTER the semester ends?

What? Reflect – Introspection, become mindful of past semester, raise consciousness, self-awareness. Learning to reflect is a crucial executive function skill that must be developed.
Why? Build the executive function skill of self-reflection in order to look at what went well that we should continue to do, and what we want to do differently to be more successful.
When? Within a couple of days after semester is over
How long it takes? 30-60 minutes
How? Writing is best, then talk it out with someone, but at least talk it through
How else? Do a temperature check and/or hilo on these areas:
  • Each of your subject areas
  • Your systems, etc.
    • How effectively you used your planner to track things
    • How was your organization?
    • How effective is your study space?
    • How consistently did you use the portal?
    • How much focused time energy did you spend on homework?
    • Actual studying?
    • Focused reading?
    • Well-developed writing?
    • Took enough time on projects?
    • Proactive self-advocacy?
    • Forthcoming with parents?
    • Honesty with self?
    • Procrastination/distractions?
    • Mindsets that are positive? Not blaming?
    • Overcome resistance?
    • Fun?
    • Social?
    • Emotional?
    • Physical? Sleep, nutrition, movement?
    • Self-care?
Before you go back for spring semester: Do a reset of your systems – planner update, backpack, folders, inbox. Finally: Set your intentions for spring. Now: Relax, enjoy break!

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Reading the transcript? Great! We’re currently uploading hundreds of transcripts so you can read them asap, but they are NOT all edited yet. This is a big process. If you notice anything wrong and want to help us, feel free to click this Google Form to share it. Thanks so much for pitching in! – Seth

Video transcript:

well Hey, what’s up, everybody, except the stuff perler.com. I’m an executive function coach out of Boulder, Colorado and I want to wish you a happy happy happy with a quitter rehabbing. Winter break. Yes, it is winter break. I’m so students middle high school college students. This video is for your parents. I know you’re watching this video. I know your students are going to watch it. Unless you show it to them first. Even if your student doesn’t watch this video make sure that you watch it because what I’m about to go into is extraordinary really powerful student. This will help your life this video that I’m about to do on the power of reflection over winter break. I know you don’t want to be thinking about school right now, but if you take what I’m about to teach you for a half hour to an hour of your life it is going to help you in the upcoming semester to lower your stress in life and in school and to up your fun and your freedom and stuff like that. It’s going to make your life better. Just this one thing to talk about reflection what to do after the semester ends again. Congratulations on winter break. I’m glad you are done. I’m glad you can chill out and relax right now. What are we going to talk about? We’re going to talk about reflux. When you are done with winter break, what you want to do is reflect on the previous semester. I know you are resisting. You don’t feel like it you’re ready to chop, but just hear me out here. Just listen. What about to teach you about reflection? It’s not the end-all be-all. I’m not going to teach you every single detail of everything but I’m going to give you a really good way to reflect and I’m going to hell if you do this, it will help your life a lot. When should you do the reflection about the state about within two to three days after the semester is over after your fall semester is over the optimal time to do the reflection, but do it anytime but that is the optimal time when you’re going to get the most out of it because it’s still fresh in your hat. How long will it take it’ll take about 30 minutes to 60 Minutes of doing this reflection. Some of you may take longer especially if you’re somebody who likes journaling and stuff anyway, so how should you do it? Well the best Waze download the PDF that I have for you were just look at it on my website and use that templates and the best way to do it is to write about it and then talk to somebody about it. But at the very least print off with there and talk to a parent or an addled or somebody who you respect and liking and can get honest with n talk it out with them at the very least do it in your own head. Now, how are you going to do this Reflections? I’m going to give you some items that you’re going to want to reflect on but the way you’re going to want to do it is in two ways one is called a high low and one is called a temperature check. Here’s that how the Hi-Lo works. I’m going to give you a topic to reflect on for example, I might say reflect on how you did in your math class. Now, you’re not reflecting on your math class or your teacher or what the class was like, although that may be part of it. But you’re really reflecting on you reflection is about introspection metacognition mindfulness self-awareness self-consciousness, not a negative stop Consciousness for the conscious of what you’re doing how you’re behaving what your choices are. You see a lot of times you me we people human beings we run around like robots and we’re on autopilot. We’re not really thinking we’re not really aware and what you want to do with people who struggle with executive function like me and probably like you but not everybody but people who do struggle through executive function struggle with self-reflection. They often are not good at learning from the consequences and repeat the same mistakes over and over and then they blame so it’s it’s the teacher’s fault the teacher hates me. The school hates me. It was too hard though. It didn’t matter. Anyway. Oh, this is stupid all this with my time or I’ll do it later. So a lot of times people are not reflecting and they’re blaming their putting the blame on everybody else and they’re not looking at themselves. So to build the skill, the executive function scale of reflection of self-awareness to build these skill takes time, but it’s extremely powerful and important and will make your life better. So what you want to do in order to reflect two ways, you can do it. Anyway you want but I’m going to give you two ways one is the high low when it’s temperature check, but they were looking at math they want to do a temperature check temperature check says, okay Seth. How did I do in math last semester and I’m going to get myself a temperature. Maybe I would give myself a six and maybe I was and then I would ask the question was so you say what’s your temperature? I would say 6:00 and then my next question is why did I get myself a 6 o y and maybe I give myself at 6 because I did well on the test, but I didn’t turn in a lot of the homework and I sat next to somebody who I would always talk to and then be kind of distracting and I didn’t really talk to my teacher when I needed help but I ask for help eventually so I’ll give myself credit for that but I did ask for help only when things got really bad, but I did try harder than I wanted to so that’s why I get messed up at 6 then my magic question is so it’s what your temperature why and then what would it take to get to the next level for me to Next Level? B-7 if I was at a 6 lb 7 and then I would say well if I sat next to somebody who’s a better influence on me, if I went to the teacher earlier in the semester, whatever you get the idea that the temperature check now the other thing is a high low, so I might say math. Alright Seth. What was my high low and maybe my high and math the best thing about math my afforded math was that when it came to tasks. I really focused. I really tried really hard. I really was present for the test. I studied at least a little bit for the tested while on test and maybe Milo was homework. Being motivated in class in like getting rid of my distractions that you can reflect now specifically, what are you going to reflect on? So you have two ways to reflect the high low and temperature check and you can jot down your answers. Like I said before you can jot Em Down on the PDF, I gave you or Journal if you want or you can just talk them out. But what are you going to reflect on? Well number one thing you’re going to reflect on his these subjects. So let’s say that I took French language arts. Social studies art math and science. So each of those areas, I would do a high-lower temperature check on and just sort of explore and reflect on how it went and what I can do better for next semester. The next thing we’re going to do after we look at the subjects as we’re going to look at the systems and stuff. Okay, and here’s what I mean by that systems and stuff that includes things like planner how well did I use my planner last semester how effectively did I use it? What went well with until well, how was my organization realistically? What went? Well, what didn’t go well, what would I do differently? How was Myspace where I studied did I have a space at home that was conducive to doing my homework and studying or were there a lot of distractions how well did I keep up with the portal looking at the grades examining the teacher websites to see what the expectations were. Did I actually use the portal how well did I use my time and energy on homework was I distracted that? I know what was for homework that I do the homework. So, how is my homework strategy? How about actual studying? What was my temperature on studying? Did I actually study how I’m supposed to study in a way that actually makes me learn material or did I crammed at the last minute? Not really learn or did I do it? Not at all. How about reading when I was reading for reading assignments. Did I actually focus on reading and get present with reading that I skim it that I avoided that I wait till the last minute. I was my reading. How about writing when I had the right things that I actually plan it out or did I just vomit ideas at the last second and get it turned in that I actually write in a mindful thoughtful creative way how about projects that I approached projects at the last minute and avoid them that I put a lot of energy in a did I put too much energy into the artistic part of the project that really doesn’t get me any points and not enough on the research how to do in Project. How about advocacy did I advocate for myself and say hey teacher what’s up? I need some help. This is sat there and I’m struggling with this. I need some help or did I say all the teacher doesn’t want to hear from me. They don’t like to hear from me. I don’t want to bother them. I’ll do it tomorrow. I promise. I’ll talk to them tomorrow. I swear. I’ll talk to them later this week. I know I’ll go to office. Like did we actually advik? In a positive way. The next thing is what I forthcoming with my parents I say hey parents, what’s up? I need to be honest and open with you upfront. Here’s what’s going on. Where did I wait until they figured something out before we talked about it if that did I avoid talking about it and then I things all together. So what is a forthcoming was a honest with me was I honest to say Seth I’m totally unrealistic about how long it’s going to take to do something I hear is true story to be honest with myself. I can be forgetful about bizarre things and I’m not going to shave myself or just happen this video that I’m making right now. I just made it before I spent 20 minutes making it and I didn’t hit record and I spoke to the computer just like I am right now with no recording. Let’s make sure it’s recording right now. Yes it is. Thank goodness. So I’m human right but I need to be honest with myself about my strength and my weaknesses were you honest with yourself or were you blaming others? It’s their fault. The teacher hates me my parents bug me too much. I don’t have enough time for this. I don’t have nothing in me. Not looking at yourself and not taking responsibility. So are you being honest with you? What about procrastination and distractions? Did you last message? You want to reflect on how distracted you wear what men be honest with yourself? What distracted with the you how sorry I’m getting tongue-tied. How were you procrastinating? How did that affect you want to reflect on that and see what you can do better for yourself? How was your mindset? Did you have a negative mindset? Did you blame? Did you blame everybody else or did you have a mindset that hey I can figure stuff out. I can do this. It’s okay. I don’t have to be perfect or were you like really hard on your you know, how was your mind that what about your resistance last semester where you really resistant? I don’t feel like at this is stupid. This is Dom. I’ll do it later. I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll resist I’m procrastinating. I don’t feel like doing it right the second leave me alone. Stop bugging me while you’re expecting me. How come you don’t trust me where you resisting doing? What needed to be done with your own excuses. How is that last semester? What could you do better? Master again, this is for you. This is not your parents. Not for school. This is for your life to have a better future for you in a better present for you. How was your fun last semester? Did you take time to really think about what matters to me? How do I want to have fun? And did you take the time to have the fun that you want to have in a really positive way? I’m talking I’m not talking about playing video games till 3 in the morning. I’m talking about doing things that are fun and enriching and healthy and good for your life. But that are fun for you spending time with people that really matter to that are good people to have in your life that you really think about. What about your social life? Did you bring a lot to the people around you? Did you bring a lot of good where you like? Did you have great friendships great relationships with people or in your social life. Was there some people who you shouldn’t be hanging around with their people. You didn’t treat though in a way that felt like Integrity for you. Like, how is your social life? Was it what you wanted it to be? How is your emotional life? Did you feel at peace? Did you feel not anxious? Did you feel not stress? There was a remote. My wife happy joyous or was your emotional I feel with anxiety and depression and frustration and anger or was it a mix? And what would you change about your emotional life? What about your physical life sleep nutrition exercise. Did you really get restful sleep and wake up rested. Did you really take care of your body and exercise and move your body. Did you really give yourself a nutritious food that really helps you and stay away from things that really are not good for you. What about self-care brushing your teeth and things like that. Did you actually take care of yourself and do the things that you need to do to treat yourself with good South care now after that reflected on all those things you’re done. You can do the temperature check on each of those things and now you’re ready to do a reset now the reset you don’t have to do right away. You can wait till the end of the semester on the reset. But the reset is really take your backpack. Throw it in the laundry machine clean it up. Get out all the crumbs get out all the change full out all the folders throw away old folder throw away old papers. I’ll get brand new folders. If you need them get all the folders emptied out ready for the new semester clean up your inbox reset your planner get it up to date. You want to reset everything. So when you walk into school in that first day back, you are ready to rock and roll don’t have a bunch of old clutter. You’re ready to start with a fresh start for having a great spring. So you do want to do a reset over the break before you go back to school doesn’t have to be right now. But before you go back to school you really want to get trapped in a good way. Finally, what you want to do is you want to set an intention for spring. How do you envision that your spring is going to look? So you want to set an intention for spring? Hey, I’m going to be laughing while I’m going to have a lot of good friends going to have some study parties. I’m going to get my homework done more proactively. I’m going to use my planner more effect. Play I’m going to be more forthcoming with my parents. I’m going to be less stress. I’m going to more free time. I’m going to be more focused on me. Stop. I’m going to eat all this stuff is going to magically happened. Just cuz you think about it. That’s not realistic. But you still do want to set the goal in the intention for what you want your spring semester to be like realistically this stuff works. When you envision stuff. It helps you achieve your goals. So you want to take your attention for spring. Now, you’ve done all the stuff you’ve done the reflection. You set an intention. You can do your reset later now relax. It’s a break. Enjoy yourself. Do stuff that’s fun for you over the break go snowboarding. If you live in a place that has snowboards play your instruments hang out with people do things that are fun for you. Like enjoy your break. You should relax you should not be stressing about school and all of that stuff. So again, my name is stuff for 11 the executive function coach in Boulder, Colorado. I’m really glad that it is break for me to I work very hard and what I do and now if you like what I’m doing in this helps you Please do all the things right now share this video. Subscribe subscribe on YouTube subscribe to my blog leave a comment do all the things and have a fantastic wreck.