SAMPLE REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Reflection may take place before, during, and after the service activity. Below are sample questions to help guide the reflection process.

Pre-Service

• What do you expect to experience at the service site?
• What do you think is expected of you during this service experience?
• What do you expect to gain from this experience?
• What do you expect will be the impact of this activity on the service recipients?
• What do you think about the problem that you will address through this service activity?
• What do you think about the way the problem is currently being addressed?
• What do you think about the population being served by this activity?

During the Service

• Are you doing what you thought you would be doing? (If not, why?)
• Are your expectations about the activity being met?
• Are your expectations about the community organization being met?
• What is going right?
• What is not going right? How can it be fixed?
• Do you think service recipients are benefiting from this service?
• Do you think the activity is meaningful and worthwhile?
• Do you want to continue with the project or quit? Why?

Post-Service

• Did you learn anything from this experience?
• What did you learn from this experience?
• Were your expectations about the service met?
• Was the community problem addressed through your service?
• Were the goals and objectives of the project accomplished?
• How have your views about the problem changed?
• How have your views about the population you served changed?
• What do you think about the way policymakers or those in positions to effect change are addressing this problem?
• What were the benefits from participating in this service activity?
• Has this experience changed you? If yes, how?
• Would you do this again? Why?
• What are the most important points you take with you from this experience?
• Do you think you will continue to be involved in service?

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL REFLECTION SESSION

To be effective, a reflection should:

• Be led by an enthusiastic, creative, and nonjudgmental facilitator
• Purposely link the service experience to learning objectives
• Be outcome-based
• Have sufficient time for discussion/writing/presenting to make the activity meaningful
• Be appropriate for the group (age, skill levels, culturally sensitive, etc.)
• Engage all participants
• Be conducted in an environment in which participants feel safe to express their feelings and observations
• Address negative experiences, while highlighting positive experiences.

Adapted from the Howard University Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning