Writing Reflection

Overview

In this lesson (20 of 30), students reflect on their personal writing journey in te reo Māori. They will self-assess their writing process, identify growth, and set one focused next-step goal for the coming lessons on kupu tū and writing.

Learning intentions

WALT: Reflect on personal growth as a writer.

Success criteria

• I can complete a self-assessment of my writing journey using clear evidence from my own work.
• I can explain one strength I developed and one area I will improve next time.
• I can make my next-step goal specific, realistic, and linked to my writing process (not just the topic).
• I can respond to peer feedback respectfully and adjust my reflections even if I make mistakes.

Curriculum links

• Te Reo Māori achievement focus on communicating and interacting by using relevant language and adapting to context.
• Learning intent for reflecting on language learning connects to developing metacognition: recognising what helped and what to try next.
• Language skills: using appropriate vocabulary/kīanga and building clarity despite errors through refinement of process.
• Key competence: Thinking (planning, monitoring, evaluating) during self-assessment and goal-setting.
• Key competence: Participating and contributing when discussing reflections with peers.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (quick reflection). Teacher displays the introduction slides and asks students: “What changed in your writing since the start of this unit?” Students think silently, then jot 1–2 words in their journals.

2. 5–12 min · Model self-assessment. Teacher returns to self-assessment model slides and models how to use a growth mindset: “I tried…, I noticed…, it improved when…, I will next…”. Students follow along by highlighting the same three parts on a checklist in the writing process self-assessment worksheet (first time only: “read and underline”).

3. 12–20 min · Review writing journey evidence. Teacher uses self-assessment model slides to prompt: “Find evidence of one strength in your draft (an idea, an order, a clear sentence, a kīanga, or improved spelling).” Students turn to their journal (or previous drafts) and choose:

• one piece of evidence for strength
• one piece of evidence for improvement
• one mistake that did not stop the message (for “communication despite errors”).

4. 20–35 min · Independent self-assessment. Teacher distributes the writing process self-assessment worksheet and explains success criteria: students complete the full self-assessment in te reo Māori where they can, and English support is allowed for meta-language (e.g., “reason”, “next step”) if needed. Students write using sentence starters on the worksheet, focusing on process language (I noticed, I tried, I fixed, I will practise).

5. 35–45 min · Guided peer check (interactive strategies). Teacher sets up a structured “two stars and a wish” conversation using prompts on peer check prompts slides. Students work in pairs, each sharing:

• one growth example
• one next-step goal
• one question to clarify meaning (e.g., “He aha i pēnei ai?”). Teacher circulates and encourages flexibility: if a goal feels too big, students adjust to a smaller, clearer step.

6. 45–55 min · Goal refinement + “write your next move”. Teacher uses goal refinement slides to show how to refine a goal: “Next time I will practise ___ for ___ minutes, using ___ from my checklist.” Students revise their goal on the writing process self-assessment worksheet and add one short “next move” note (one sentence they will include in the next writing task).

7. 55–60 min · Plenary exit ticket. Teacher finishes with the final slide in goal refinement slides: “One sentence I can say to my future self…” Students complete a one-sentence exit ticket in journals and hand it to the teacher or keep it for the next lesson portfolio.

Resources

• the introduction slides (self-assessment hook, model, prompts, refinement visuals)
• the writing process self-assessment worksheet (self-assessment checklist + sentence starters + evidence boxes)
• Students’ journals or writing folders containing at least one draft/evidence page
• Pens/highlighters
• Pairing slips (optional) for quick, mixed-ability pairing

Assessment

• Formative during modelling: teacher checks whether students can identify strength + improvement evidence.
• During writing: teacher circulates and notes sentence starter use, clarity of goals, and whether “next step” links to process.
• Peer check: teacher listens for respectful, specific questions and evidence-based feedback.
• Exit ticket: checks if students can articulate one growth point and one next-step sentence.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters and a word bank of process kīanga (e.g., “I tried…”, “I noticed…”, “I fixed…”, “I will practise…”); allow meta-language in English if needed while keeping te reo Māori for the main statements.
• Support for Kura Kaupapa learners: start with a “process first” approach (ideas/clarity/order) before focusing on vocabulary complexity; remind them that errors are part of learning if communication remains clear.
• Challenge: ask students to include one specific language feature they improved (e.g., better order, clearer connection, more precise kupu) and explain how it helped meaning.
• Additional scaffold: for students who need structure, limit goals to one skill (clarity of sequence OR clearer responses to feedback) and one practice action.
• For confident writers: invite them to compare two drafts briefly and identify what changed (before/after).