Happy June, teacher friends! If you’re anything like me, your mind is already racing ahead to next year. You’re thinking about classroom supplies, lesson ideas, routines you want to improve, and all the possibilities that come with a fresh start. But before you close the door on this school year, I want to encourage you to pause for something that can have an even bigger impact than any new strategy you try next fall: reflection.

As math teachers, we’re constantly helping students reflect on their learning. Yet we often skip that same opportunity for ourselves. In this episode, I’m sharing why math teacher reflection is one of the most valuable things you can do before summer break—and five powerful reflection questions that can help you celebrate growth, recognize impact, and move into next year with intention.

Why Reflection Matters

One of my favorite quotes from John Dewey is, “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” That’s why reflection is such an important part of Word Problem Workshop and why I believe it’s one of the most valuable things we can do as educators. When we take time to look back, we begin to see the ripple effects of our work—the growth, relationships, and moments that made a difference throughout the year.

Start by Remembering Where Your Students Began

Before diving into reflection questions, take a moment to think about who your students were on day one. Think about their confidence levels, their willingness to participate, their relationships with one another, and their mathematical identities.

When we compare where students started to where they are now, we often discover growth that is easy to overlook in the day-to-day busyness of teaching. Sometimes the most meaningful progress isn’t found in a test score—it’s found in a student’s confidence, perseverance, or willingness to take risks.

The questions ahead are designed to help you uncover the growth, impact, and learning that happened throughout the year—not just for your students, but for you as a teacher as well.

Student Growth & Experience
  • Most significant change you’ve seen in how your students think, talk, or engage in solving this year? 
  • What specific evidence (a moment, strategy, or student example) shows this change?
Instructional Shifts 
  • Most important shift you’ve made? 
  • How has your role change during math? Specific evidence (moment, strategy, example)
Professional Learning & Coaching 
  • What part of your professional learning or coaching had the greatest impact on your teaching and why? *Remember this could be a book you read, a podcast you listened to or something you saw a colleague try. 
  • What specifically helped you move from learning to implementing?
Impacts & Outcomes 
  • How has your math classroom changed as a result of this work? 
  • What impact do you believe this has had on your students as learners of math?
Looking Ahead
  • What is the most important area you want to grow in next year?
  • What support will help you make that growth? 
BONUS

What would you say to a teacher just starting this work?

Reflection, Gratitude, and Growth

These reflection questions aren’t just for teachers. Many of them are powerful questions to ask your students as well. You might be surprised by the insights they share about their growth, confidence, challenges, and experiences throughout the year.

As you reflect, don’t forget to turn some of that reflection toward yourself. Reflection often uncovers something we don’t make enough time for: gratitude.

  • What felt hard that ultimately turned out well?
  • What challenge are you grateful you worked through?
  • What are you glad you stuck with, even when it was difficult?

Teaching is demanding work, and it’s easy to move straight to what’s next. Before you do, take a moment to recognize your growth, celebrate your impact, and acknowledge all you’ve accomplished this year. You did that.

A Last-Day Tradition For Your Students

One of my favorite end-of-year activities is something called Back Books. Students wear a simple paper booklet on their backs while classmates fill it with memories, encouragement, gratitude, and well wishes.

The best part? They can’t read their books until they leave for summer break. It’s a simple but meaningful way to celebrate the relationships and community you’ve built throughout the year.

Looking Ahead to Summer

This summer, we’re focusing on one big goal: helping you create a classroom of problem solvers.

In June and July, we’ll explore everything from launching the year with a problem-solving mindset to thinking routines, purposeful fluency, strategic instruction, assessment, identity, belonging, and the math norms that help strong classroom communities thrive.

Then in August, we’ll shift our focus to routines, relationships, expectations, and the practical structures that help students feel connected, confident, and ready to learn from day one.

May You…

As we close out this school year, may you take time to see this year as a success. May you remember the moments when your students’ eyes lit up, the relationships you built, and the confidence you helped grow.

May you recognize that your actions created ripples far beyond what you could see in the moment. And most of all, may you enjoy a summer of rest, joy, and renewal so you can return with the passion and energy that make such a difference in the lives of your students.

🎧 Listen to Episode 212: Reflecting on the School Year as a Math Teacher
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📚 Interested in the Word Problem Workshop Book Club? Visit monamath.com/bookclub for details