Making Meaning of High School With Self-Reflection

In many high schools, only the top few highest-performing students get the chance to give a speech sharing a reflection on their school journey. But at Casco Bay High School, in Portland, Maine, every graduating senior experiences this opportunity. Through a series of introspective writing exercises, students craft a speech to deliver to an audience of classmates, family, and the greater school community that helps them make meaning of their four years of high school and look to the future with confidence. The result is a powerful, joyful event—and an established rite of passage that the school’s younger students look forward to. 

Says high school senior Kaya, “Now that it’s done and I performed it, [I know] I wouldn’t have been able to be successful without being pushed. It’s the genuine care and love that the teachers have because they want you to succeed. They know your greatness and potential.” 

English language arts teacher Susan McCray, who supports and guides the students as they write their “final word” narratives, believes the experience is transformative for the students. “Every single kid is heard,” she says. “And cherished, in that moment. Right? Loved, in that moment. Because that’s what happens up there.”

To learn more about the research behind the practices seen in the video, check out the links below. 

• The American Academy of Pediatrics’ report on how play enhances development in young children (2018) 
• Kayleigh Skene, Christine M. O’Farrelly, Elizabeth M. Byrne, Natalie Kirby, Eloise C. Stevens, and Paul G. Ramchandani’s meta-analysis and review on whether guidance during play can enhance children’s learning and development in educational contexts (2022) 
• Rachel Parker, Bo Stjerne Thomsen, and Amy Berry’s article on learning through play at school (2022)

• Jerusha Conner, Michael Posner, and Bright Nsowaa’s study on the relationship between student voice and student engagement in urban high schools (2022)
• Kristina Zeiser, Carrie Scholz, and Victoria Cirks’s report on how implementing and measuring student-centered learning practices can maximize student agency (2018)
• Janneke van de Pol, Monique Volman, Frans Oort, and Jos Beishuizen’s study on the effects of scaffolding in the classroom and its relation to student achievement, task effort, and appreciation of support (2015)
• Cheryl J. Travers, Dominique Morisano, and Edwin A. Locke’s qualitative study of self-reflection, growth goals, and academic outcomes (2014)