Documentation Examples > Documentation Exhibition

Making Student-Led Discussion Visible

School: Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School, Devens, MA

4. Students? individual Reflections

There was an eagerness to participate that made the seminar work. People were looking out for each other.

I could have done better because I contributed to the stalling of the whole group. I had some trouble saying what I wanted to say a couple of times (trying to get the right words).

I did well because I shared out a lot this time.

The only thing our group didn?t do well was taking turns in sharing. A lot of people were really waiting and it was hard trying to make sure everyone got equal air-time.


There were good thoughts and were connections to oter things like music, poetry, book texts, civil rights history.

We did not do well time-wise. You think you have enough time so you talk thinking others will too, but you run out and some people don?t get a chance to talk. I need to work on not talking as much as I did. I tended to be really chatty toward the end.

In the beginning of the year I was proud of myself if I spoke once in a text seminar. This seminar I said so much that I was disappointed that I didn?t get time to say everything. Next time I want to get everything out. I want to say things that will really change or further the conversation, or make people really think.

We all had deep ideas and tried hard to build off of one another.


We did well by asking a lot of questions. Some were meant to move us away from a topic when we got stuck. Some of them helped us to go deeper into an area. We also used many pieces of evidence.

The first group started real well, but then they lost it and decided to have a facilitator.

The group really dove deep into issues like Bob Ewell Vs. Martin Luther King. However, we repeated a lot of comments.

The second seminar group built off of our seminar thoughts. But they started by getting stuck on one idea, like us.

I think I really learned from other people. I am thinking about humanity and how there are so many perspectives. Also, how much power we can have and how fragile a person can be.