Are you someone who isn’t sure about what a reflection paper is? Do you wish to learn how to write a reflection paper? Well look no further because we have got you covered. We have created a step-by-step guide for you to help you learn all about this style of writing. Read along to discover the world of reflection writing.
Writing is an essential skill that shouldn’t be taken lightly. It doesn’t matter if you’re someone with a job or a college student looking for a job, knowing about the many styles of writing sets you apart from a wide range of other applicants. Nowadays, every job demands that you have a good grip on writing, while some may require you to be a proficient writer, others require that you have a basic grip of different types of writing styles.
In this article, we will discuss one of the most widely used forms of writing, reflection writing.The name may confuse many, but it isn’t something technical or tricky. Even if you are new to this style of writing, don’t worry, we have devised an easy to follow guide that will help you master the skill in a short amount of time.
A reflection paper is a very common type of paper amongst college students. No matter what you major in, at some point, you will be required to give your opinion on a certain topic. It gives the student a chance to think critically and express their own thoughts which is often something they cannot do due to the strict rules of academic writing.
Out of all the other types of assignment, a reflection paper is the best way to assess and evaluate a student’s skills and understanding of a certain topic. It encourages the students to delve into their own perceptions and make use of personal experiences.
Unlike many other forms of writing, it is the most productive and significant in terms of both the process of learning and enhancing your knowledge. This is because when writing a reflection paper, your mind tends to question every bit of information you are reading, it encourages you to ask more questions which in turn results in you carrying out more research to get your questions answered.
Read along to find out more about how to write a reflection paper.
What is a reflection paper?
A reflection paper is a type of paper in which a person expresses their own opinion on a topic, supporting it using personal observations and examples. Unlike other forms of academic writing, in this paper, the writer gets the opportunity to write about their own point of view. And the best part is there is no right or wrong answer in a reflection paper. All you need to do is express your thoughts in a comprehensible manner to convey to the audience your opinion on the matter.
The topics for a reflection paper are endless. For example, whether or not pluto is a planet, your favorite movie, international issues and so much more.
A reflection paper encourages you to explore your own ideas and others to accept new ideas. This style of writing can help improve your analytical skills because it requires you to express what you think and most importantly, how and why you think in that particular way.
Furthermore, you have the chance to acknowledge your own thoughts. You discover how your assumptions and preconceived notions shape your thoughts. Through this acknowledgement, you can also reevaluate how you think about a particular topic and build a new understanding.
The options with this form of writing are endless. Hence, be as opinionated and creative as possible and you have got yourself a compelling reflection paper.
Here are a few other facts about reflective writing:
| Reflective writing is | Reflective writing isn’t |
| Written in first person | Written in third person |
| Analytical | Descriptive |
| Free flowing | What you think you should write |
| Subjective | Objective |
| A tool for challenging assumptions | A tool to ignore assumptions |
| A time investment | A waste of time |
Types of reflection writing
There are many different types of reflection writing. That being said, there is more than one way in which you can express your opinion. Here is a list of some of the most common types of reflection writing:
Critical analysis
A critical reflection paper is usually the most challening type of reflection paper. It is commonly used in professional practitioner subjects such as teaching, health care or social care. It requires you to look closely at a single event from your own practice and analyze what may have been challenging for you.
It also aims to evaluate your decisions and actions at the time and identify ways in which your learning and practice can be changed and implemented under similar circumstances.
A critical reflection paper requires extensive thinking to present your abilities to observe, evaluate, question and apply personal experiences. Moreover, it questions our deeply held assumptions, the way we perceive issues and events, our feelings, beliefs and actions. It is not a reading assignment, a summary or an emotional outlet. Instead, its goal is to change your thinking about a certain topic and thus change your behavior.
Reflective report
A reflective report is a type of reflective writing that is used to summarize a student’s critical reflection on any subject. Usually, other forms of academic writing discourage first person accounts;however, reflective reports rely on them. They are frequently used as a part of the assessment of practical projects. In the case of group projects, individual reflective reports can help document each student’s contribution towards the assignment.
It is also different from traditional assignments because it allows students to explore their own viewpoints and experiences and use their own thought process. In reflective report writing, a student is not expected to maintain impersonal activity. In fact, you are expected to highlight your own opinions, emotions and actions. To write a compelling reflective report, you must critically evaluate your own opinions and demonstrate the ability to link your personal experiences with theoretical knowledge.
Here are some tips to write a compelling reflective report:
- Be critical
- Be thorough
- Don’t be afraid to tell what went write
- Don’t be afraid to tell what went wrong
- Analyze outcomes
- Suggest future improvements
Experimental reflection
Reflection writing can be an important part of making connections between theory and practice. In professional programs like nursing, forensics, business and education, you may be asked to reflect upon your experience in a placement. Under such a scenario, you are not only asked to describe an experience, but also to evaluate it.
In this way you can assess an approach or theory based on your observation and evaluate your knowledge and skills within the professional field. You get the chance to review your actions, choices, success and failures within a specific framework. This can also allow you to make plans for improvement if necessary.
When writing an experimental reflection, consider the following questions:
- Contextualize your reflection: What are the objectives of the organization? What are your learning goals? How do your goals fit with the concepts and themes from the course?
- Analytical reflection: What did you learn from this experience? About working in the field, about society and about yourself.
- Lessons from reflection: Did your experience fit the concepts and goals of the organization or course? Why and why not? What future lessons have you learned?What would you do differently in the future?
Reading reflection
In an effort to encourage balanced and thoughtful assessment of readings, many academic instructors may ask you to submit a reading reflection. The instructor will inform the students about their requirements and indicate what they expect of a reflection. A general purpose of this assignment however is to elicit your opinions about ideas and concepts presented in the text and to understand your interpretation of it. Reading reflections not only give you the opportunity to recognize but also break down your assumptions.
A reading reflection also encourages students to complete their readings before coming to class. It gives them time to reflect more deeply on the content of the readings and explore and acknowledge their own understanding of it . It also aids in the development of metacognitive skills for lifelong learning. When submitting a reading reflection, ask yourself the following three questions:
- What is the main point of the reading?
- What information did you find to be new or surprising and why?
- What information was confusing to you and why?
How to start a reflection paper
Starting a reflection paper can be daunting. You might not be sure where to start or how to organize your thoughts. However, don’t worry, this part of the article will slowly and gradually help you begin your work on your reflection essay and help you gain some clarity about what needs to be done.
The first thing that you need to do when aiming to write a reflection paper is to read the given article thoroughly at least twice while making important notes. Whether it’s a book,newspaper or an academic essay that you’ve been asked to reflect on, your aim is to identify the key concepts and ideas presented in that piece of writing.
Once you have identified these concepts, it is time to brainstorm. And if you’re still not sure where to start, here is a list of a few questions you need to ask yourself to start brainstorming:
- How did this article affect you?
- Did this article catch your attention, if yes, how?
- Has the article changed your opinion on something? If yes, how?
- Was the article lacking any critical information on the topic?
- Has the article left you with any questions?
- Does the article relate to any previous reading experiences?
- Does the article agree with any of your past reading experiences?
You don’t necessarily have to stop there. Depending on what you aim to learn or explore in the reading, you can yourself build a set of questions that you can ask once you’re done reading it. This helps you gain some clarity and helps organize your thought process.
The end result of brainstorming should be a written outline of the content you wish to include in your reflection paper. Make sure that you do not miss this step as it shall ensure that your paper has a proper flow and appropriate organization.
How to make an outline for a reflection paper?
Here’s a quick guide to help you build an adequate guideline for your paper.
Introduction
Your introduction should clearly highlight what you are reflecting upon. The goal here is to inform the readers about your general opinion and position on the subject.
- State which piece of work are you analyzing.Is it a passage, a lecture or an academic article
- Briefly summarize the work
- Write a short thesis statement that states how the subject has affected you
Paragraph
Typically a reflection paper ranges anywhere from 400-800 words.In this part of the paper, you need to examine the experiences and ideas you have had in context to your topic. Ensure that each new paragraph starts with a topic sentence.
If you are writing about a book or an academic article, you may include some quotes and passages in your reflection paper to increase its credibility. They also give your reader a point of reference to fully understand your feedback on the topic. Always feel free to describe what you felt after reading it.
Writing the conclusion
Any conclusion should aim to summarize what you have learned from the experience. Explain to the reader to what extent the new knowledge has affected your understanding. Has it added to your knowledge, has it changed your perception, was there a lesson to be learnt?
Tie all the ideas from your body paragraphs and generalize any major insights you may have experienced. Lastly, reinstate your thesis statement and summarize the content of your paper.
How to write a reflection paper?
This part of the article helps you develop a clear understanding of how to write a reflection paper. Read this easy to follow guide and master the art of reflective writing in a small amount of time.
Create a main theme
Once you choose a topic, you need to write a short summary about what you learned from the topic. What experiences has the topic given you. It is best if you choose a topic you are passionate about. This will make it easier for you to write a compelling reflective paper. Let the readers know how you feel about the topic and it is best to be honest.
Don’t worry about your understanding of the topic being right or wrong. What matters is how well you convey your opinion to the readers. Chances are that your readers will likely be able to relate to your opinion. This will help them have a better understanding of your reflection.
For example, after going to a TEDx talk about environmental degradation, you were able to reevaluate your preconceived opinion about how much climate change is affecting us on a daily basis.
Brainstorming ideas and experiences
The best way to make a reader understand about your experiences is to include specific quotes and predispositions that have influenced you. Or write about specific memorable parts of the article you have chosen. It’s always a good idea to mention things that catch your attention or you believe will catch other readers’ opinions as well.
Be a bit personal and explain in simple words rather than using technical or difficult language. In simple words, impress the readers through your opinion rather than words.
Analyze how and why these ideas and experiences have affected your interpretation
Pick an idea or experience you had from the last step. Then analyze it further. In this part of your paper, you need to tell the reader whether you agree or disagree with the topic. Also you need to support your opinion with substantial reasoning. Without sufficient reasoning, your opinion may come off as bland or poor. Hence, give reasons for why you agree or disagree with the topic.
Make connections between your experiences, opinions and observations
Try to connect your insights and ideas to form a coherent picture of your paper. You should also try to recognize your assumptions and break them down. This will enhance your critical thinking skills and provoke you to ask more questions in the future. Always make use of your personal observations.
Here are a few subjects for reflection papers that are most commonly written about:
Book
When writing a reflection paper about a book,be sure to start by writing some information about the author followed by a summary of the plot. Don’t reveal the ending too soon to keep your readers interested. Make sure that you include the name of the main characters, include some information about the theme and of course any issues that may have been mentioned. Finally, express your opinions and reflect on the book itself
Course
A good way to start is by including the name of the course followed by its description. Next, you can write about the flow, talk about why you took the course and specify what you learned from it. Make sure you are not simply describing the content of the course. This is one of the biggest mistakes most writers make. You have been asked to reflect on the course,hence, include your opinions and your perceptions with examples from the course.
Project
When working on a project, the guideline for writing a reflection paper is more or less similar to that of a course. One of the things that will be different is that while you can add a pro and con list for a course, the same cannot be done for a project.
In the case of a project, you might want to recommend some changes and evaluate how relevant and useful the skill is in your daily life
Interview
Start by introducing the person who is being interviewed, give a brief background information. Next, mention what the interview was about. Do not cover each and every part of the interview. Stick to the main points that may catch the reader’s attention such as controversies. Also state what is your opinion about the person and what factors contributed to help you form this opinion.
Further writing tips
To make this task even easier for you, we have compiled a list of a few tips and techniques that you can keep in mind when writing a reflection paper.
Short and crisp
Most reflective essays are between 400-800 words. Stick to that word count unless told otherwise. Make sure you don’t add any irrelevant information. It is essential to keep the reader engaged.
Clear and concise
Proofread your paper. Ensure that it is as clear and to the point as possible. Use a strong thesis statement and carry on the same strength throughout.
Maintain the right tone
Even though a reflective paper is your personal opinion, you need to maintain a professional and academic tone throughout. Do not use any informal slang or words.
Cite your sources
Citing authoritative and expert sources to back your opinion will make your piece more credible and that is exactly what you need.
Proofread
Be on the lookout for any grammatical, spelling and sentence structure mistakes. In addition, focus on the flow and organization of your paragraphs as well. Nothing should seem out of place.
Conclusion
Writing a reflective paper may seem dreary at first, but once you get into the flow, you may actually like writing about your opinions. It gives you time to explore your subconscious, to reflect on your knowledge and introspect. Hence, make the most out of it and enjoy having the opportunity to write whatever you want. And most importantly, never underestimate or think less of what you think. Your opinion matters and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
