Microsoft Reflect helps you create impactful check-ins to gain insights into your learners' well-being and build a happier and healthier learning community, all through one easy-to-use app.
Note: This article will help you get started with Reflect in Microsoft Teams for Education. Reflect is also available as a web application, allowing you to easily use it through your browser on any device, such as a desktop, tablet, or mobile, without the need to download a separate app. Learn more about using Reflect as a web application.
Reflect in Teams is pre-installed and available for free in every class and staff team, offering a simple way to conduct check-ins with your students and colleagues.
Utilizing Reflect in the classroom setting, assist students in recognizing and navigating their emotions by offering regular opportunities to share and be heard. Reflect enhances learners' emotional vocabulary and deepens empathy for their peers, all while providing valuable feedback to educators to foster a healthy classroom community.
Within Reflect, learners respond to check-ins using emojis and the Feelings Monster, a research-backed character suitable for all ages, which showcases 60 different emotions in an engaging and playful way. This approach aids learners in authentically identifying and naming their emotions, thereby fostering the growth of emotional granularity.
Research demonstrates that explicitly teaching social and emotional skills improves students' academic and behavioral performance and has lifelong positive impacts.
Create a Reflect check-in
Build a strong classroom community by making social emotional learning a part of your routine.
1. Navigate to your desired class, then select the Reflect tab.
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From here you can see your recent check-ins. Select any check-in to see how students have responded.
2. Select New check-in.
3. In the New check-in screen, choose from the available questions, use the sentence stem to create your own, or explore the gallery to get ideas.
Tip: When you create your own questions, choose those that invite a full spectrum of emotions in responses, as it normalizes negative experiences and enhances genuine interest.
4. You can customize the check-in by selecting Settings from the bottom.
Note: To streamline your check-in creation, settings are automatically saved for your next check-ins, but you can update them at any time.
In the settings pane, you can:
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Decide how long the check-in should be open for responses.
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Decide which vocabulary set best suits your class.
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Broad emotion vocabulary includes over 50 diverse emotion words that can help students expand their vocabulary.
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Simplified emotion vocabulary is focused on fewer, more basic emotions to reduce overwhelm.
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Decide in which channel you want to post a notification about this check-in.
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Decide if you want to record check-in responders’ name.
Note: If you record responder names, results will be shown in any case. If you decide not to record names, results will only be shown when there are at least 3 responses, to protect responders from being identified accidentally.
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Decide if you want to share aggregated results with responders.
Note: If you enable this option, aggregated results will be shared with responders only when the check-in is closed for responses and if there are at least 3 responses, to protect responders from being identified accidentally.
7. Select Create check-in.
You will see the Reflect check-in posted, and students will be notified of the opportunity to share their feelings.
Tip: Before creating your check-in, you can select Preview to see the responder experience.
View student reflections
To view the detailed data for a specific Reflect check-in, follow the steps below.
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Navigate to the Reflect tab.
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Select any check-in from the list.
Tip: You do not need to wait until the check-in closes. As students respond, their reflections will be visible to you.
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Hover over any Feelings Monster to see the student's name and emotion details.
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Select Hide names to make together view safe to project as an empathy building tool.
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You can find other options to manage this check-in and track the responses, by clicking on the "..." button from the right top corner.
You will see the following options:
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Select Save as image, if you want to share the view with peers without responder details.
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Select Responses distribution to view responses based on the emoji responders selected. In the distribution view, select any emoji tab to see:
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Which user selected that emoji.
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How they named their emotion.
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How they responded to previous reflections. Hover over any of their previous emojis to see how they defined it and the date.
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Select any student's name, then select Start a conversation to send a message to the student right from Reflect.
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Privacy in Reflect
Students will only ever see their own full reflections in the app. While they can see the distribution of responses if the educator selects Share aggregated results with respondents, toggling this option off will create a more anonymous experience.
Reflect, as part of Microsoft 365, complies with regional and industry-specific regulations for data collection and use, including GDPR and FERPA.
Respond to Reflect check-ins
Naming your emotions can help you communicate your needs clearly and get support when you need it!
Important: Your educator sees everyone's whole reflection, but you and your classmates will see only emojis, not names. This way you can be honest and not worry what your classmates may think.
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When an educator assigns a Reflect check-in, you will see it in your Class channel.
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Select the emoji that best fits how you're feeling.
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Name your emotion by choosing the emotion word that fits with how you are feeling.
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You can select different words to read a brief definition and find the right fit.
4. Tap Submit to share your reflection with your educator.
See your previous responses and class's reflections
Note: Depending on the privacy settings your educator used, you might not have access to reflections.
When a public Reflect check-in closes, you can see how your classmates responded.
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Select the Reflect tab to see your previous responses and how your peers responded. You will be able to see how many classmates chose each emoji.
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From the Your responses view, you can see all of your previous check-in responses.
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Select View class responses from a closed response to see bar graphs of how many students in your class selected each emoji.
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Select an open check-in to respond or to adjust your response.
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Once you've responded to all your check-ins, breathing exercises become available. Take a moment to get your body and mind ready to learn by selecting Play.
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Choose another tab to exit Reflect.
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Tip: Journaling can help you notice your emotions. If you notice you're handling a lot of difficult emotions, reach out to someone you trust. When feelings come up, there are people who want to help!
Build social and emotional learning skills with Reflect
Mobilize Reflect data to support your class! Educators are experts at building classroom community. Add Reflect to your existing social and emotional learning routine, or begin an SEL routine with these suggestions:
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Reach out one-on-one to students who are experiencing a pattern of difficult emotions.
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Host conversations about the new emotion vocabulary Reflect introduces. Why is excited different than motivated? Why does it matter to be able to express yourself clearly?
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Discuss empathy with students. Did you notice there are other people in the class who are also in the orange range today? Did you notice people who are having a different experience than you? Why might they be feeling different?
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Reflect as an educator. What student responses do you have the power to impact through your teaching methods?
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Expand social emotional learning or introduce the Feelings Monster with ready to play games and activities on Reflect website.
