Whole-group reflection and guided discussion on participants’ own shift in motivation to use STEAM activities in ways that match their needs and their students’ needs, while encouraging continued connection through support systems and the wider Community of Practice.
Learning outcomes
Participants reflect on how their own motivation to use STEAM has changed during the training and identify next steps for using STEAM activities intentionally in ways that respond to their own teaching context and their students’ needs.
Activity/exercise in details
This activity serves as a reflective closing after Activity 2. It gives participants space to think about where they started and where they are now in relation to their own motivation to use STEAM activities in the classroom.
The purpose of the activity is to help participants recognise their own shift in mindset, confidence, openness, and readiness to use STEAM more intentionally and strategically. It also gives them space to speak about the potential they now see in STEAM, to share ideas, and to think about how they can continue supporting one another after the training.
This whole-group reflection also acts as a transition from the shared experience of the workshop toward longer-term collaboration. Participants are encouraged to think about creating their own support systems and to connect with the wider SPIRIT Project Community of Practice, both locally and internationally.
The main reflective question at the heart of the activity is:
How has your motivation changed from where you were at the beginning to where you are now in relation to using STEAM activities that match your needs and your students’ needs in your classroom?
Introduction
The trainer introduces the activity as a reflective closing discussion following the station rotation. The trainer explains that participants have now experienced several STEAM activities, thought about their motivational value, their skill-development potential, and their curriculum relevance, and that this is now the moment to reflect together on what has shifted in them personally.
The trainer should frame the activity positively and openly. Participants should feel that they are not being evaluated, but invited to notice their own development and put it into words within the whole group.
The trainer introduces the central reflection question:
How is your motivation now, compared to where you started, to use STEAM activities that match your needs and your students’ needs and to bring STEAM activities into your classroom?
Steps of the activity – Plenary reflection discussion
The trainer invites the whole group into a guided discussion focused on their journey through the training. Participants reflect together on where they started, what they experienced during the training, and what has shifted in their motivation to use STEAM.
The trainer facilitates the discussion by helping participants compare:
- where they started,
- what they experienced during the training,
- what has shifted in their motivation,
- and what they now feel more ready or inspired to try.
Participants should be encouraged to speak as concretely as possible and to refer to specific moments, activities, or realisations that influenced their thinking.
As the discussion develops, the trainer can invite participants to share:
- what possibilities they now see for STEAM in their own classroom;
- what kind of STEAM activities they feel more ready to use;
- what kind of support they may still need;
- and what ideas they already have for adapting STEAM to their own students and context.
In the final part of the discussion, the trainer encourages participants to think beyond the training itself. Participants should be invited to consider how they can remain connected, create their own support systems, and engage with the wider SPIRIT Project Community of Practice at both local and international level.
Time allocation
- Introduction to the reflection: 5 minutes
- Whole-group discussion: 20 minutes
- Closing and invitation to continue through support systems / Community of Practice: 5 minutes
In total – 30 minutes
Required materials
Reflection question displayed on screen or flipchart, flip-chart or whiteboard for noting key words or themes, stationery if participants are invited to jot down personal notes.
Handouts
No handouts needed
Pay attention – Important note
This activity should feel reflective, encouraging, and forward-looking. The trainer should create an open and affirming tone so that participants feel comfortable speaking honestly about their starting point and any shift that has taken place.
The focus should remain on participants’ own motivation and readiness to use STEAM in ways that are relevant to their teaching reality and to their students’ needs. The trainer should also help participants leave the session with a sense of possibility, connection, and continued support through their own support systems and the wider Community of Practice.