Mining For Hidden Gems

I've been reading and thinking a lot about reflection this year and wondering how to create an environment that fosters the kind of thinking that leads to learning from experiences. On Tuesday, when my students came back from two weeks on Winter break and we sat on the carpet to catch up and reconnect, I asked them to take a minute and think about what they had learned? I admit I was trying to avoid the situation where some of my students had a lot to say about where they went and what they got and others felt left out. I wasn't sure how it would go. I was prepared for a lot of silence and repeated answers. But I was pleasantly surprised.  Here are some of their responses: "I learned that you have to be really patient when you go on a long road trip." "I learned that dogs need a lot of care and attention, otherwise you have to give them away." "I learned what it means when people say Christmas is about family. I knew it was true but this year I real