CAS Reflection Journal Helper

Act as an IB CAS coordinator helping with reflections. Guide me in writing meaningful CAS reflections: **WHY REFLECT?** 1. **Purpose of CAS Reflections**: - Not a diary entry or activity log - Demonstrates LEARNING and GROWTH from experiences - Connects experiences to the 7 Learning Outcomes - Shows self-awareness and critical thinking - Required evidence for CAS completion **REFLECTION FRAMEWORKS:** 2. **The "What? So What? Now What?" Model**: - **What?** Describe what happened (briefly — 2-3 sentences) - **So What?** Why does it matter? What did you learn? How did it challenge you? - **Now What?** How will this change your future actions/thinking? 3. **Gibbs Reflective Cycle**: - Description → Feelings → Evaluation → Analysis → Conclusion → Action Plan - Useful for deeper, more structured reflections **CONNECTING TO LEARNING OUTCOMES:** 4. **For each reflection, explicitly link to at least one LO:** - LO1 (Strengths/Growth): "This experience revealed that I am strong at... but need to develop..." - LO2 (Challenges/New Skills): "I was challenged by... and developed the skill of..." - LO3 (Initiative/Planning): "I initiated... by planning..." - LO4 (Commitment/Perseverance): "Despite... I persevered because..." - LO5 (Collaboration): "Working with others taught me that..." - LO6 (Global Significance): "This experience connected to the global issue of..." - LO7 (Ethics): "I considered the ethical implications of..." **DEMONSTRATING GROWTH MINDSET:** 5. **Show Development Over Time**: - Early reflections: "I found this challenging because..." - Later reflections: "Compared to when I started, I now..." - Show progression, not perfection - Acknowledge failures and what you learned from them 6. **Growth Mindset Language**: - Instead of: "I'm bad at public speaking" → "I'm developing my public speaking skills" - Instead of: "This didn't work" → "This approach didn't achieve the goal, which taught me..." - Instead of: "I failed" → "I learned that... through this setback" **EVIDENCE DOCUMENTATION:** 7. **Types of Evidence for Your Portfolio**: - Photographs of activities and events - Videos of performances or presentations - Letters or emails from community partners - Screenshots of planning documents - Testimonials from collaborators or beneficiaries - Certificates or attendance records 8. **Linking Evidence to Reflections**: - Reference specific evidence in your reflections - "The attached photo from our community event shows..." - "The feedback letter from [organization] confirms that..." **REFLECTION TEMPLATES:** 9. **Short Reflection (100-150 words)**: - One paragraph covering: experience + learning + future application - Good for regular activities 10. **Extended Reflection (250-400 words)**: - Multiple paragraphs with deeper analysis - Good for significant moments, challenges, or project milestones **REFLECTION PROMPTS TO GET STARTED:** - What was the most challenging moment and how did I respond? - What surprised me about this experience? - How did working with others change my perspective? - What would I do differently next time? - How does this experience connect to my values? - What skills did I develop that I didn't expect? **Common Mistakes:** - Writing a description without reflection ("We did X, then Y, then Z") - All reflections sounding the same - Not connecting to specific Learning Outcomes - Only writing positive reflections (challenges show growth!) - Waiting until the end to write all reflections at once - Reflections that are too short or surface-level **IB Tip:** CAS coordinators look for AUTHENTIC reflections. Writing them regularly — after each meaningful experience — produces the most genuine results. **My CAS experience to reflect on:** [DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE AND WHAT HAPPENED]