Sketching Me and My Possible Selves Tree – reflection
Note to reader: Today is the final section in the fourth unit of my motivational multi-literacy curriculum. This lesson is usually taught in early – mid March. Currently I am posting writings from my graduate program in preparation for a speech in November.
This is UNIT 4 in the Possible Selves program: Sketching Me and my possible selves tree. This is the Reflection section. Here’s part of the conclusion to get students to reflect on what they learned in this unit.
You can find links to the other units here: Possible Selves as a Japanese Language User
Unit 4 Review
Take a moment and think back to bits of wisdom you received from your family, teachers, or friends when you were down. Many of us experience what might be called the “dark night of the soul” when we feel that our anxiety or depression or emotional pain is more than we want to bear. We may be experiencing a break up, a rejection to graduate programs, another failed attempt to read a website in Japanese, or any number of other things. Fears are unique to each of us and our feelings about them are valid.
Along your journey to become proficient in Japanese and succeed in a career, you may experience some of these dark nights. But they do not last forever. Think of the song 上を向いて歩こう. This happy song that encourages us to look to the future even though we are alone and sad, was written by Ei Rokusuke when he felt all was lost following a failed student protest in post war Japan. Think of Miharu Takizakura and all the many dark nights it may have witnessed in 1000 years, yet it blooms each April.
Your tree represents bright days ahead of you. Remember these when you feel those environmental factors nibbling at your bark. You have an amazing journey before you. Don’t let fear discourage you.
Reflection Prompts
- Take a moment to think about the tree and its environmental hazards you created. In a reflection (about 300 words), describe how the tree’s roots are used to describe yourself, the limbs are the areas of your life as a Japanese language user, artist, and person, and the branches that are your hopes and expectations. Also write about your fears that you identified. Do not be afraid to explore these.
- Post this reflection on your blog along with the sketch of the tree you created
- Include a link to the youtube video you created with your classmates.
- Include the hashtags #possibleselves4 and #tree at the end of your blog post.
If you are joining me on this journey, please include #mynihongolessons.
Coming up
Next week I will share portions of Unit 5 from my motivation curriculum. Unit 5 focuses on the REFLECTING on what you can become step of the Possible Selves method. Students will create a daruma that represents their goals and practice using conjunctions between sentences.
Please like and subscribe so you will get updates when the next unit comes out.
If you would like to discuss how Possible Selves and multi-literacy programs can be adopted to your program, please contact me.
Leave a Reply