It’s in (Y)OUR Hands

I am starting a small personal project sharing simple (and hopefully meaningful) Reflective Practice Activities you can easily do in your language class or a training session, with another teacher as a peer professional development activity, in a reflective practice group meeting with colleagues, or even on your own. All is needed is a piece of paper and your own hand to make an outline. Here is my sample template, to show the idea.

Why write ‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands’ now? There will be as many classroom/training/reflection activities with a Hand template above as the number of days the war in my country goes on. The Russian military invasion of Ukraine started on 24 February 2022. Writing these posts and sharing some links to support Ukrainians in Ukraine and abroad is my humble way to #StandWithUkraine and to show that (y)our helping hands are needed. Read more about the project idea in this post.

Here is the list of the activities I have for now. I hope to be adding new posts and making each item an active link.

1. Activity 1: What’s in your pocket/on your desk?
2. Activity 2: (In/From) Different Languages
3. Activity 3: Ask Me Five
4. Activity 4: Being Happier Now
5. Activity 5: A Step Outside
6. Activity 6: An Exit Ticket
7. Activity 7: A Promise to Self
8. Activity 8: This Very Moment
9. Activity 9: Hand-y Lexis
10. Activity 10: Some Ice to Break
11. Activity 11: Life Stages
12. Activity 12: Five Why-s or What-for-s
13. Activity 13: How do you recharge?
14. Activity 14: A Happy Moment
15. Activity 15: Achievements
16. Activity 16: Never Done (Yet?)
17. Activity 17: Metaphors and Numbers
18. Activity 18: Gratitude (People)
19. Activity 19: Gratitude (Places)
20. Activity 20: Your Roles
21. Activity 21: Well-Done Today
22. Activity 22: Gift to Self
23. Activity 23: Learning of the Day
24. Activity 24: Charge Your Devices
25. Activity 25: Accidental Creativity
26. Activity 26: Who Am I?
27. Activity 27: My Own Project
28. Activity 28: Self-Support (Resilience)
29. Activity 29: Moments Giving Hope
30. Activity 30: One Book
31. Activity 31: Words of Support (Resilience)
32. Activity 32: The Art of Quitting
33. Activity 33: How can one help?
34. Activity 34: ‘Handy’ Idioms
35. Activity 35: Helpful Quotes
36. Activity 36: Tough Questions
37. Activity 37: Distractions
38. Activity 38: Your Critic’s Words
39. Activity 39: Your Favorites (or Self-Portrait)
40. Activity 40: News Report
41. Activity 41: Journal Topics
42. Activity 42: Gratitude (Events)
43. Activity 43: Gratitude (Books/Movies)
44. Activity 44: Making Decisions
45. Activity 45: Staying in the Flow
46. Activity 46: No Man is an Island
47. Activity 47: Gratitude (Mantras)
48. Activity 48: Lifting (Y)Our Spirits
49. Activity 49: Whose Perspectives?
50. Activity 50: Peer Reading/Challenge
51. Activity 51: DIY
52. Activity 52: Your Anchors
53. Activity 53: Favorite Questions
54. Activity 54: Comfort Food
55. Activity 55: Coaching Questions
56. Activity 56: Small Wins
57. Activity 57: What Keeps You Alive?
58. Activity 58: Guess What’s Here
59. Activity 59: 3D Creativity
60. Activity 60: Reversal Questions
61. Activity 61: Declutter Plan
62. Activity 62: Career Flow(s)
63. Activity 63: Collage
64. Activity 64: Crossroads
65. Activity 65: Types of Objectives
66. Activity 66: Writing Off
67. Activity 67: Guess My Color
68. Activity 68: My Week
69. Activity 69: Venn Diagram
70. Activity 70: Haiku Attempt
71. Activity 71: Needs Analysis
72. Activity 72: Who am I Today?
73. Activity 73: (ELT) Beliefs
74. Activity 74: One Word
75. Activity 75: Too Long Didn’t Read
76. Activity 76: What’s Holding You?
77. Activity 77: A Classroom Management Tool
78. Activity 78: Picture Not Taken
79. Activity 79: Instantly Reminiscing
80. Activity 80: Shape Poem
81. Activity 81: 6 Word Story
82. Activity 82: Language Learning Journal
83. Activity 83: Event of the Day
84. Activity 84: A House on Fire
85. Activity 85: Your Playlist
86. Activity 86: Re (-se, -duce, -cycle)
87. Activity 87: Energy Hubs
88. Activity 88: Odd One Out
89. Activity 89: Fragile
90. Activity 90: Morning Routine(s)
91. Activity 91: Who else am I (not)?
92. Activity 92: Autobiography in Songs
93. Activity 93: Meaningful Space
94. Activity 94: A Compliment You Remember
95. Activity 95: Firsts
96. Activity 96: U-Turns
97. Activity 97: (Micro-)KWL
98. Activity 98: Choices
99. Activity 99: Boring Facts
100. Activity 100: Symbolic Meaning(s)
101. Activity 101: Five Other Lives?
102. Activity 102: The Power of One
103. Activity 103: Inventing Rules
104. Activity 104: A Handful (Literally!)
105. Activity 105: Eat Something New
106. Activity 106: A ‘Thank You’ Practice
107. Activity 107: On Planning (to Plan)
108. Activity 108: The Anti-You
109. Activity 109: A Coat of Arms
110. Activity 110: How lazy are you?
111. Activity 111: Your (Mega-) Interview
112. Activity 112: On Delay
113. Activity 113: A Punctuation Story
114. Activity 114: Closure(s)
115. Activity 115: Who are you jealous of?
116. Activity 116: (Micro-) Feedback
117. Activity 117: What’s in your name? 
118. Activity 118: Visual Arts
119. Activity 119: Make a Sentence
120. Activity 120: B-Values
121. Activity 121: (Sewing) Stitches
122. Activity 122: (Your) Writing Genres
123. Activity 123: (Your) Social Media Strategy?
124. Activity 124: 360 Degree Feedback
125. Activity 125: Create (Your) Own News
126. Activity 126: Dream City
127. Activity 127: Your Breaks
128. Activity 128: Feeling (Very!) Angry?
129. Activity 129: Fan Letters
130. Activity 130: Constraints
131. Activity 131: Do You Doodle?
132. Activity 132: Five Mirrors
133. Activity 133: Learning (English)
134. Activity 134: Limiting Beliefs
135. Activity 135: What do you do (instead)?
136. Activity 136: Vanity Fair
137. Activity 137: Stress Reduction
138. Activity 138: More to Life?
139. Activity 139: Switch That Channel
140. Activity 140: (In)Visibility
141. Activity 141: Story Arc
142. Activity 142: Take Another Exit
143. Activity 143: Magic
144. Activity 144: Bridging Now and Future
145. Activity 145: Contagious
146. Activity 146: Successfully Successful
147. Activity 147: Five Pictures
148. Activity 148: Graphic Organizers
149. Activity 149: (Living) ‘Unplugged’?
150. Activity 150: All the Keys
151. Activity 151: Job Crafting
152. Activity 152: (Not) Enough
153. Activity 153: On the Dark/Light Side
154. Activity 154: Complex Decisions
155. Activity 155: Fear(less)
156. Activity 156: Are you Looking ‘Slowly’?
157. Activity 157: Kintsugi
158. Activity 158: I See
159. Activity 159: Detail Hunt
160. Activity 160: Close Up (Noticing)
161. Activity 161: A Mirror
162. Activity 162: Grow Your Tree
163. Activity 163: (Not) To Solve
164. Activity 164: Personality Test
165. Activity 165: Famous Metaphors
166. Activity 166: Teamwork and Roles
167. Activity 167: Your Adage
168. Activity 168: Your Map
169. Activity 169: Metaphor and Similes
170. Activity 170: Emotion Wheel
171. Activity 171: Your Iceberg
172. Activity 172: Unusual Careers
173. Activity 173: Writing Patterns
174. Activity 174: Planned Creativity
175. Activity 175: Three (More) Words
176. Activity 176: One Minute
177. Activity 177: (Stop) Self-Sabotage
178. Activity 178: Knowing Each Other
179. Activity 179: Visual Alphabet
180. Activity 180: Guilty Pleasures
181. Activity 181: Time Capsule
182. Activity 182: Topics to (Not) Talk about
183. Activity 183: Teamwork
184. Activity 184: Plan Spontaneous Questions
185. Activity 185: A Happy Sign
186. Activity 186: Level 5 Ambition
187. Activity 187: Default Settings
188. Activity 188: One/Some Day
189. Activity 189: Your Strength Postcard
190. Activity 190: Your Own Words
191. Activity 191: More with Less
192. Activity 192: Favorite Words
193. Activity 193: Avatar
194. Activity 194: Empathy Map
195. Activity 195: Meaning Search
196. Activity 196: Silence
197. Activity 197: Explicit and Implicit Curriculum
198. Activity 198: Ex Libris
199. Activity 199: Your Constants
200. Activity 200: To My City
201. Activity 201: How Engaged Are You (right now)?
202. Activity 202: 20-Percent Rule
203. Activity 203: Untold
204. Activity 204: Unpublished
205. Activity 205: Power Differentials
206. Activity 206: Curiously Yours
207. Activity 207: Your Magic Wand
208. Activity 208: The Patronus Spell
209. Activity 209: Add an Element
210. Activity 210: Healthy Selfishness?
211. Activity 211: Dimensions of Happiness
212. Activity 212: Emotions to Read
213. Activity 213: Book Review
214. Activity 214: (Un)Planning CPD
215. Activity 215: Your Own Acronym
216. Activity 216: Review Lesson
217. Activity 217: Do Something Different
218. Activity 218: How are you today?
219. Activity 219: Every word has a story
220. Activity 220: Interview the Interviewer
221. Activity 221: Lecture This
222. Activity 222: Me, Constantly
223. Activity 223: Your Evening
224. Activity 224: Your Passions
225. Activity 225: A Rainbow
226. Activity 226: Inspiration Catcher
227. Activity 227: The Why of this Project
228. Activity 228: Your Grades and Scores
229. Activity 229: Which Culture…?
230. Activity 230: In Awe
231. Activity 231: A Special Meeting
232. Activity 232: Gestures and Cultures
233. Activity 233: Grey Area(s)
234. Activity 234: Your Logo
235. Activity 235: Please call me [Zhenya]
236. Activity 236: Weekend Plans
237. Activity 237: What do you think you cannot do?
238. Activity 238: Shopping List
239. Activity 239: Complaint Game
240. Activity 240: Natural Planning
241. Activity 241: Detachment 
242. Activity 242: On Your Side
243. Activity 243: The North Star
244. Activity 244: Color Hats (adapted)
245. Activity 245: How to Pause
246. Activity 246: City Mayor
247. Activity 247: The Magic of Groups
248. Activity 248: What can feed you?
249. Activity 249: Professional Resources
250. Activity 250: Define it
251. Activity 251: Languages in Your Life
252. Activity 252: Resignation Letter
253. Activity 253: Untangling Time
254. Activity 254: [Defense] Castles
255. Activity 255: Exit Ticket (Bloom’s)
256. Activity 256: Take [This] Online?
257. Activity 257: Energy Leaks
258. Activity 258: What could go wrong?
259. Activity 259: The very last one?
260. Activity 260: Why keep going?
261. Activity 261: Your Real Wishes
262. Activity 262: Crafting Freedom
263. Activity 263: Voices
264. Activity 264: Learning in/from Process
265. Activity 265: Career Change
266. Activity 266: Teleporting
267. Activity 267: Group Final Lesson
268. Activity 268: Glocally?
269. Activity 269: Stations
270. Activity 270: Can [This] be f2f?
271. Activity 271: Content Page
272. Activity 272: Your Surname
273. Activity 273: Women in your family
274. Activity 274: Your Constitution
275. Activity 275: Discussion Starters
276. Activity 276: Asking for Help
277. Activity 277: Your Coffee Bean
278. Activity 278: Condense
279. Activity 279: Nominate
280. Activity 280: Five Countries
281. Activity 281: On All Fronts
282. Activity 282: Role Reading
283. Activity 283: Compare-Contrast
284. Activity 284: Your Robot
285. Activity 285: Your Planet
286. Activity 286: Strange Words
287. Activity 287: Imaginary Words
288. Activity 288: Million-Dollar Words
289. Activity 289: Portfolio
290. Activity 290: Summary Notes
291. Activity 291: Idea Sorting
292. Activity 292: Title Fiction
293. Activity 293: Evaluate an Experience
294. Activity 294: Question Story
295. Activity 295: Rhetoric Questions
296. Activity 296: Billboard
297. Activity 297: Arguments
298. Activity 298: PREP (S) Method
299. Activity 299: For and Against
300. Activity 300: Perceived Choice
301. Activity 301: Learning Platforms
302. Activity 302: Sentence Stems
303. Activity 303: Daily Goals
304. Activity 304: Make the Most (Event)
305. Activity 305: Question the Text
306. Activity 306: We both
307. Activity 307: Picture Dictation
308. Activity 308: Accessorize
309. Activity 309: On the Topic
310. Activity 310: Making Lists
311. Activity 311: New Year Wishes

I invite you to add ideas to the list above, and offer thoughts, feedback, suggestions and insights in the comments.

Reflective Practice and Critical Thinking skills, especially in the intercultural context(s), are vital in the modern world, and the absence of them may lead to dangerous consequences.

Photo by Valeria Boltneva on Pexels.com

Thank you for reading and #StandWithUkraine!

P.S. The idea to use a hand outline template as a discussion springboard in a language classroom is not mine. I first read about it in Anna Loseva’s 2017 post (by the way, if you have not read her blog, I highly recommend it as a resource for reflective and thoughtful teaching). 

P.P.S. It does not always need to be a ‘hand’ to work as a reflective practice tool. There was a wonderful post from Wilma Luth where she described how Lists of Five can be easily generated for various purposes. 

If you know more resources, authors, teams, or specific activities on the topic, please share/add in the comments.