Why is the reflection important?

Screening the film

The film projection is not just about turning on the computer and the projector. There is something special happening within this process, that is not often possible in the educational process. Suddenly, there is no "them" (teachers) who are communicating something, and "them" (students), who are being taught. There is "us" (all together) watching the often very personal confession of the heroes of the documentary film.

Reflection of emotions after the screening

During reflection, we work with the emotions that the film evoked. Since the destinies of the main characters are usually very strong, this step is necessary. In addition, mutual sharing of feelings during the reflection enriches us in many other ways.

First of all, students learn to listen to each other. If we choose the simplest form of reflection, the One word activity, where everyone says a single word describing their current state of mind, everyone will have the opportunity to express themselves. It will suddenly become clear to the students that the same film can evoke different feelings.

“Emotions are true, no one can take that from you or question it. The most valuable thing is that one feeling is not worse than the other. When children share them, they learn not to evaluate, not to compare, but simply to accept that someone can have a completely different perception than themselves." Zuzana Paseková, Karlín Business Academy

Reflection leads students to respect the point of view of the subjects of the documentary. Students will understand that looking at things from different angles is possible. If we tried to convey something similar to them from the position of pedagogues, we would never have succeeded in compiling and presenting such a convincing and trustworthy mosaic of feelings to the students. In addition, we learn something from others and can look at them with a deeper understanding. That is why films can be used not only in teaching but also in the work of a class teacher, guidance counselor, or methodist of prevention.

When students stop being afraid to express their feelings, they start asking questions because they really want to hear the answers.

A well-conducted reflection can eventually lead to the fact that the students stop wanting to be only passive "consumers" of the story, but instead awaken an interest in "doing something". We can look around our surroundings and look for where we ourselves could change something together.

It is important that students not only learn to express their feelings and respect the feelings of others, but also to understand them and be able to explain them. Therefore, we should always ask the question: WHY?

From reflection to discussion

All the proposed methods of reflection strengthen students' communication and social skills, critical thinking and teach them joint discussion. It is clear that guided discussion is the best form of reflection. Students learn to formulate their thoughts correctly, not judge, get rid of shyness and nervousness, defend their opinion, respect the opinion of others, learn to question, and look for answers to their questions.

Discussion rules

Establish clear rules for screening and discussion together. The discussion rules will allow students to openly and safely express their opinions and attitudes. Make the rules clear to the students before the screening begins.