Being Reflective is one of the IB Learner Profile characteristics that we should be encouraging in students. Here are some of my favorite books for encouraging this important skill.
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In my classroom, I organize my classroom library by IB learner profile characteristic. You can read all about how I organize it here. This makes it easier for me to find books to focus on different learner profile attributes. It also helps students keep the learner profile in mind. Here are 8 excellent books for the IB learner profile trait of being reflective.
Favorite books for teaching students to be reflective
The Bad Seed is one of my favorite books for talking about being reflective. This book is about a BAD SEED who is mean, and rude, and doesn’t really care who he hurts along the way. However, he wasn’t always like this. Soon we see a bit behind why he’s such a baaaaad seed, and it makes his temperament a lot more understandable. In the end, he has decided not to be so bad all the time, and we see both how people can change after reflecting on themselves and that no one is perfect all the time, and that’s okay.
I’m Gonna Push Through is an excellent book about realizing your own power and ability. It also allows students to reflect on famous and historical figures’ ability to push through adversity to triumph in the end. The empowering words encourage students to keep going, and help them to think about their unlimited potential.
An Annoying ABC is one of my favorite books to help students reflect on how small actions can set up big (and often unpleasant) events. In this silly story about a class of students, Adelaide sets off a chain reaction with her actions that makes it’s way through the class. The students just happened to have alphabetical names. In the end the children realize how their actions and choices impact each other.
How Are You Feeling Today? is an excellent book for helping students to both be aware of their emotions and reflect on how they act when they are feeling certain emotions. The book can be read straight through, or it can be used as a resource when you are feeling a certain way. The book begins with a table of contents with different emotions. When you turn to the page for happy, sad, or bored, you will find some ideas of things you can do when you’re feeling that way.
The next book is How to Lose All Your Friends. This is a funny take on the typical “how to be a good friend” type of book. This flipped friendship book is sure to inspire a lot of giggles. It will also encourage great discussions on how our actions impact our friendships. This is a great book to help students reflect on their past choices and future choices as a friend.
I am not a fan of the message of The Giving Tree. However, it’s a great book to teach students to be reflective about how much we expect from others. It also ties well into thinking about how humans have taken and taken from the earth without giving much back. Instead of examining this book as a story of unconditional love, I like to use The Giving Tree as a springboard for thinking about how we should give as much as we take.
Those Shoes encourages reflectiveness on a number of levels. This story is a touching tale about a boy named Jeremy. Jeremy wants “those shoes” that everyone else has, but his grandma just can’t afford them. When he finds a pair of “those shoes” in a thrift store, they’re too small. He buys them anyway, but quickly realizes he can’t jam his feet into them. In the end, his own act of kindness teaches him a lesson about friendship, kindness, and what really matters.
Worry Says What is a great book to help students reflect on the impact worry can have. It also shows students that we don’t have to listen to worry. This cute book which personifies worry as a monster teachers children that worries happen, but we don’t have to believe them.
Want to read more? Check out books for these learner profile attributes:
