Sharing My Activity and Peer Review
Activity: Anonymous Messages from your Peers
Timeframe: 10 to 30 mins ( adjustable depending on the number of the students)
Objective: To allow the students to notice and appreciate other students while also feel appreciated. To strengthen students' critical thinking and concentration.
Step-by-step Instruction: Students sit or stand in a circle. Students have a pen and paper with each of them. Student write down their names on the top of the paper. Students pass the paper in the same direction in the given minutes. Students write a message for other students as the paper indicates who they are writing the messages for. Writers are not required to write down their names. Teachers should give student certain prompts (eg. write a message about the time your friend helped you and how you felt about it.). Students will write one message for another student until one rotation of a circle is completed.
This activity helps the students to think, focus, and appreciate their peers, the time and experience they shared. At the same time, they also receive appreciation, fostering bonds between the students and encouraging positive & safe space.
However, the activity is usually ideal to be used only in the end of the terms or academic year as the students need time to know or interact with each other better. Because this activity is not a short warm-up activity before the lessons, it might not significantly help the teacher to manage their classes. This activity is more like a year-ending refletive activity.
The instructions are clear, and the activity sounds very fun. I believe it can help build a safe and supportive learning environment, not only during the activity but also afterward, as students have the opportunity to write positive messages and show appreciation for one another.
I have tried a similar activity in my classroom, and it was very enjoyable for the students. One thing I noticed from my experience is that timing can be a challenge. Students often need a few minutes to think about what to write, especially if they are not sure how to express their ideas. In my class of 15 students, even with a 60-minute, we did not have enough time to complete the activity fully.
I also found that once students started writing, many of them wanted to write a lot to express their gratitude, which took more time than expected. With some adjustment to the time frame, I think this activity can work very well and be highly engaging for students.
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