End of year reflection questions

I have already underlined how crucial I think the reflection process is in both the development of a teacher and language learning in general.  I know I am guilty of spending so much time discussing, planning and crafting materials for my lessons that I can be guilty of not dedicating enough time afterwards to deconstructing how the lesson went.  While we may mentally critique which activities were successful and which not so much, in an ideal world we would be able to dedicate real time to focusing on the effectiveness of our lessons and more importantly considering why.  Moreover, as the school year passes it is fundamental to take regular pauses and to look at how well we are doing whether it be as learners, teachers or institutions.

Below are the questions that I like to ask my teachers and myself at the end of the year to celebrate our successes and learn from our mistakes.  Do you do something similar? Are there any key questions you feel I have left out?

What is the one thing you have done this year that you are most proud of?
What is something you tried in your classroom this year for the first time? How did it go?
What is something you found particularly frustrating this year?
Which student in your class do you think showed the most improvement? Why do you think this particular student did so well?
What is something you would change about this year if you could?
How did you challenge yourself this year?
What do you feel that you really learned this year?
What is one way that you grew professionally this year?
Who amongst your colleagues was the most helpful to you?
What has caused you the most stress this year?
When was a time this year that you felt inspired about the work that you do?
What do you hope your students remember most about you as a teacher?
In what ways were you helpful to your colleagues this year?
What was the most valuable thing you learned this year?
What was the biggest mistake you made this year? How can you avoid making the same mistake in the future?
What is something you did this year that went better than you thought it would?
What part of your lessons is your favourite? Why?
What were your biggest organisational challenges this year?
Who was your most challenging student? Why?
In what ways did you change the lives of your students this year?
Knowing what you know now, what would you change about your academic year? What would you keep the same?
Do you feel you achieved your personal development goals and objectives for this year? If not, what stopped you from achieving them?
How will your teaching change next year? What goals do you want to work towards?

Download End of Year Reflection Questions PDF here