Reflection
is all about getting people to talk about their experiences.
Sometimes, people feel more comfortable in groups. That
can also help the discussion go better, because one person's
ideas might spark a thought for someone else. The problem
is how to get a group discussion started. One great way
is the reflection circle.
As
you might expect, to do a reflection circle, everyone sits
in a circle. A leader (youth or adult) asks a question and
participants can respond. You can decide ahead of time what
the questions will be, or you can ask questions based on
how the discussion is going. The group needs to have some
ground rules, though. Before you begin, have the group decide
what those rules are. A couple of basic rules are: 1) Everyone
has a right to speak and be heard. No one should interrupt
or make fun of anyone else for what they say. 2) What is
said should remain confidential. Don't gossip about what
your fellow volunteers tell you during reflection.
Following
is a list of questions that you might use in your reflection
circle.
Why
do you do service? For yourself or to help others?
Describe
the people you met at the service site.
Name
three things that stuck in your mind about the service experience.
Describe
the atmosphere of the service site.
Describe
some of your interactions with people during the service.
Why do you think they happened?
How
were you different when you left the service site, compared
to when you got there?
How
did the people's responses make you feel?
How
did the service site make you feel?
What
brings people to the service site (both people seeking service
and the volunteers)?
Are
strangers welcomed there? Why or why not?
How
are you similar or different from the others (other volunteers?
others seeking services? etc.)?
In
what way did being different help or hinder the group?
What
have you learned about yourself?
If
you were one of the people receiving services, what would
you think of yourself?
How
does this experience compare to others you've had?
What
connections do you see between this experience and what
you've learned in 4-H or in school?
What
have you learned about a particular community or social
issue?
How
did this experience challenge your assumptions and stereotypes?
Do
you think these people (or situations) are unique? Why or
why not?
Who
determines what's best for the community?
Describe
what a typical day might be like for someone who uses the
services of the organization you worked with.
How
would you do this differently if you were in charge?
What
was the best/worst/most challenging thing that happened?
Do
you feel like a part of the community you were working in?
How
do you define community?
Describe
a conflict you had during your service. Explain what caused
it and how you might solve or cope with it.
Describe
a social problem you have come in contact with during your
service. What do you think are the root causes of it? Explain
how your service may or may not contribute to its alleviation.
What
could this group do to address the problems we saw at the
service site?
What
could each volunteer do on his/her own?
How
can society better deal with the problem?
How
can this experience apply to other situations in your life?
How
can your solutions apply to other problems of other groups?
How
can society be more compassionate/informed/involved regarding
this issue?
What
is the difference between generosity, charity, justice,
and social change?
Where
do we go from here? What's the next step?
