The Pedagogical Mirror: Health Behavior Reflection Journals

This Voces essay reflects on a recurring longitudinal journaling assignment in a graduate public health course at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Grounded in the Social-Ecological Model and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, the assignment tasks students with interrogating a personal health behavior through expanding layers: from individual to family, community, and structural. Students recognize the structural drivers of health that shape their daily lives. These reflections serve as a “pedagogical mirror” for the instructor, providing insights into the pressures affecting the Latinx community. Ultimately, the assignment transforms abstract health theory and cultivates reflective skills essential for community practitioners.