Personal reflection encompasses all the ways students engage with their own thoughts and how they understand their experience. This allows students to independently reflect on and sort through their thoughts, to be prepared to share with others. Each QUESTion Class lesson has multiple opportunities for individual reflection so students have the time and space to process their own thinking before sharing, collaborating, and co-creating. Personal reflection often takes the form of notebook exercises such as: 

• writing—students reflect on and write a response to a provided prompt or guiding question;
• completing a graphic organizer—students organize their thoughts using charts, tables, Venn diagrams, timelines, and more.

Co-creative activities, or collective reflection, provide students the opportunities to test their ideas by placing them alongside others and in turn generate deeper learning. These collaborative activities give students the ability to conceptualize their views with relevant input from source material as well as questions, support, and feedback from peers. Co-creative activities include:

• discussions—guest speakers may be brought in for various topics to facilitate lively and enlightening discussions with students; 
• debates—students reflect on challenging questions that often involve a central paradox, such as the question of whether life revolves around oneself or others. During a structured debate, students address these opposing viewpoints, delving into a discussion that explores both sides. Ultimately, this process leads to a nuanced understanding and an appreciation for complexity, moving beyond the oversimplified dichotomy of such questions; 
• group work—students break into small groups and discuss various topics then present their thoughts to their classmates.

Written Assessment: Students complete one writing assignment at the end of each unit. The writing assignments serve both as self-exploration exercises and as assessments of students’ understanding of the five Pillars. Students are provided prompts to help them reflect on the different questions they explored, what they learned, and how they want to apply it to their lives and future. These independent written assessments can serve as a foundation for small-group presentations. Sample Writing Assignment Prompt

Individual or Small-Group Presentations: Students are given two to three days during each unit to prepare and share individual or small-group presentations. Students are given prompts and are free to explore the topic through various methods. This choice provides students the opportunity to practice self-direction and creative expression. Students apply their knowledge of topics learned in the class, add new angles, and expound on their experience to produce their own video presentations, posters, skits, and short talks. The presentations provide a platform for students to practice applying their learnings in a safe and collaborative environment, and an outlet to share their insights with their peers. By working in small groups, students are given the opportunity to integrate their learnings with those of others. Presentations also enable teachers to assess how well students can incorporate various perspectives, work collaboratively, and creatively express their collective understanding of the relevant content area.