The Power of Reflection: A Critical Tool for Learning Specialists

by Jen McMahon, M.Ed.

Academic Support Program Faculty, New Hampton School

NEALS' Board Member

Over the holidays, I received a card from a former student who had just completed her first semester as a college freshman. In her note, she shared that she had done very well and graciously thanked me for teaching her the tools and skills she needed to be successful. While I was deeply appreciative of her words, I found myself wondering why this realization had come only now. That question led me to reflect on my own practice and ask: Am I intentionally creating enough opportunities for reflection with my students?

Philosopher Edmund Burke once said, “Learning without reflection is like eating without digestion.” This metaphor captures the essential role reflection plays in meaningful learning. Reflection is not an add-on to instruction; it is a powerful process that transforms experience into understanding. It involves deliberately thinking about what has been learned, how it was learned, and how that learning can be applied to future situations. Reflection deepens understanding, promotes self-awareness, and helps learners connect new knowledge to what they already know.

Reflection also plays a critical role in developing a growth mindset. Through reflective practice, students learn to evaluate their performance, identify mistakes, and view challenges as opportunities for improvement rather than evidence of failure. When students reflect, they move beyond simply completing tasks and begin to understand how and why learning occurs.

Unfortunately, many students are primarily focused on submitting work and earning grades, with little time devoted to reflecting on their learning process. When reflection is absent, learning can remain superficial. In contrast, when students engage in reflection, their critical thinking skills are activated, their understanding of the learning process deepens, and information becomes meaningful knowledge connected to prior learning. Reflection allows students to recognize their strengths, identify areas for growth, and take ownership of their learning.

For students with learning disabilities, reflection is especially powerful. It allows them to see tangible evidence of progress, recognize how far they have come, and develop confidence in their ability to succeed in the future. Too often, however, students with learning disabilities are not explicitly taught how to reflect or shown the benefits of doing so. Reflection is a learned skill that requires modeling, guidance, and consistent practice—making it a crucial responsibility of learning specialists.

In their book Make It Stick, psychologists Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel describe reflection as a process that strengthens learning through several key activities. These include retrieval, or recalling recently learned information; elaboration, which involves connecting new ideas to existing knowledge; and generation, where learners rephrase concepts in their own words or mentally rehearse what they might do differently next time. Each of these practices reinforces learning and builds long-term understanding.

There are many effective tools learning specialists can use to foster reflection. Journaling allows students to articulate their thinking and track growth over time. Structured discussions that include open-ended questions—such as “How did you figure that out?”, “Is this what you expected your work to look like?”, or “What can you do now that you couldn’t do last semester?”—encourage metacognition and self-assessment. Digital tools such as Mentimeter or Answer Garden can also provide accessible, low-pressure opportunities for reflection and student voice.

Ultimately, reflection helps students recognize that learning is a process, not a destination. By intentionally embedding reflection into our work with students, learning specialists can help learners build self-awareness, resilience, and confidence—skills that extend far beyond the classroom and into lifelong learning.

References

Costa, A., and Kallick, B. “Learning Through Reflection” 

Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind. (2008)

Georgetown University Center for New Designs in Learning and 

Scholarships: Reflection in the classroom.