self reflective essay for english class

To appear in Feedback in Second Language Writing: Contexts and Issues (Ken and Fiona Hyland, eds). Cambridge University Press Student Reflections on Their Research Processes: The I-Search Paper Ann M. Johns, San Diego State University Self-evaluation and reflection have been central to the teaching and learning of writing for decades. The Writing Process Movement, which began in North America in the 1970s, first introduced teachers to student reflection as central to pedagogy (Silva, 1991). Theorists argued that “writing is not a straightforward plan-outline-write process” (Taylor, 1981). Instead, it is a “complex, recursive, and creative process or set of behaviors ” (Silva, 1990, p. 15-16). Because of this, instructors encouraged students to plan, draft, revise and edit their papers and to reflect on their writing processes, thus developing a metacognitive awareness of their strategies for producing an essay. More recently, genre theorists and practitioners have discussed how text structure and content, context, audience, writer purposes and writer and discourse community ideologies influence the success of written texts. In this paradigm, writers must have a sophisticated meta-knowledge of a variety of contextual and personal factors as they plan and execute their drafts and revisions and reflect upon their work (Bawarshi, 2002; Hyland, 2002; Johns, 1997). In 1980, Ken Macrorie, a prominent teacher of L1 composition in North America, developed an approach for encouraging student reflection upon research paper assignments, tasks that often make complex, varied, and perplexing demands upon a novice writer. Macrorie’s approach, the I-Search Paper, which continues to be assigned in North American secondary schools (see, e.g., and universities (see, e.g..
  Below we offer two examples of thoughtful reflective essays that effectively and substantively capture the author's growth over time at CSUCI. We suggest that you write your own essay before reading either of these models-then, having completed your first draft, read these over to consider areas in your own background that you have not yet addressed and which may be relevant to your growth as a reader, writer, or thinker. Any reference to either of these essays must be correctly cited and attributed; failure to do so constitutes plagiarism and will result in a failing grade on the portfolio and possible other serious consequences as stated in the CSUCI Code of Conduct. Sample Reflective Essay 1 Author: Prefers to remain anonymous As an English major I have learned to appreciate the peaceful, yet exhilarating moment when my mind engages with an author's thoughts on a page. As Toni Morrison says in The Dancing Mind , [reading is] to experience one's own mind dancing with another's. In my early days as a college student, I wanted to know the true meaning of a work or what the author intended, however, I have now realized this would void literature of its most noteworthy complexities. Individual interpretations bring varied insights to a work and it is also interesting to point out messages the author may not have realized s/he included in the piece. I have always been a thinker, but throughout my coursework, I have greatly sharpened my critical analysis skills. Instead of focusing on proposed meanings or biographical background, I have learned to continuously ask why on many different levels. I challenge myself to dig into a text as deeply as possible and unpack every detail to develop a satisfying close read. Also, by reading multiple novels by the same author I have learned to identify different writing styles and make connections that weave texts together; this.
Skip to main content. Search for. Synonym Antonyms Definitions The Classroom » School Subjects » How to Write a Self-Reflective Essay by Kori Morgan, Demand Media A self-reflective essay shows personal growth from a significant experience. Related Articles Language to Use for Writing a Reflective Essay What Is a Good Way to Start Writing a Reflective Essay? What Is a Reflection Essay? How to Write a Reaction & Reflection Essay A self-reflective essay is a brief paper where you describe an experience and how it has changed you or helped you to grow. Self-reflective essays often require students to reflect on their academic growth from specific projects or assignments, though others might require you to think about the impact of a specific event in your life. By describing your overall experience for readers, discussing your current strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the experience you wrote about and sharing your future plans for using this new information, you can paint a vivid picture of how you have grown and changed. Introduction An introduction to a self-reflective essay is a preview of what you'll be discussing. Developing a thesis statement that illustrates the major points of your reflection can give readers a preview of the content without giving too many of the details away in the beginning. A student writing an essay on her academic growth, for example, might write as a thesis, Through my work on my final research paper, I've learned how to do stronger research and use an objective voice, but I still need to work on structure and transitions. Personal Experiences Many instructors may provide you with questions to consider in your reflection. You might be asked to talk about a specific way an experience changed your attitudes or actions, a significant challenge you faced or things you would do differently if given a second chance. If the assignment.
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There are two key reasons for the reflective letter in the portfolio: First, it demonstrates to students that they have a measure of control over the assessment process. If the first item the rater sees is a statement from the student, introducing the rater to and guiding him/her through the collection, then the student can believe that writing is about communicating, that the process is designed to take account of the student's needs, that the process is therefore designed to be fair. Second, the reflective piece provides valuable information that helps raters make reliable judgments. This information ranges from procedural data about assignments, expectations, and so on, to substantive information about the student's abilities as a writer, her metacognitive awareness as a writer, etc. -- Bill Condon, WSU, assessment of Highline's Portfolio Process, Spring 1999 ***Be sure to let your students know that this letter is not the place for them to gush about what a wonderful teacher you have been nor is it the place for them to convince you that they deserve that 4.0. They should instead focus on analyzing and contextualizing the essays they've included in the portfolio for the portfolio reader(s). Teaching suggestions to promote self-assessment On the day they turn in their final drafts, have your students write what they like about the draft and what they would change if given another day. They might write this on the back of the draft, on a cover sheet, or in their journal.   After you turn back essays with your comments and a grade, have students write an assessment of what their strengths and weaknesses were. They might also write what they would change about the essay if they were to include it in the portfolio.   Midterms are approaching: have your students write a mid-quarter self-assessment. What do they see as the strengths and weaknesses in their writing at.
When I first enrolled into this course, I felt all different kinds of emotions and wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from WRD 103.  I would have thoughts in my head leading up to this class spinning in my head every night before the first day.  Some thoughts like, “Maybe this will be my best class!” and “This class will be easy because I love writing!” were good thoughts that helped me boost my confidence about my college course.  Other thoughts loomed in my head as well such as, “Do I really belong in this class?”, and “I’m probably going to fail this class with just one assignment!”  Such thoughts as these brought my spirits and gave me a pessimistic outlook on this class.  But now that I am halfway done with this class, I find myself to be more at ease with myself and have a newfound confidence in the way that write.                 Writing has been an important form of expression for me.  I find myself to be very soft spoken and speaking verbally is usually difficult for me because I can’t always seem to find the right words to say.  This has led me to be very shy in class.  With writing, I feel that I am more expressive and have more control over what I want to say.  Writing is therapeutic for me, whatever I cannot say directly I can just pour out my heart and soul.  I have been keeping a journal for the past eight years and it has done wonders for me.  I find myself not only a better person for it but it also serves as an aid for writing.  My journal is one of the best ways I take into consideration life’s difficult choices I make.  It serves as a permanent record for me to look back on in the future to see how much I matured in my life.                 Although I enjoy writing in such an informal way, I always felt that I was limited to my expressions in formal writing.  Throughout high school, I found myself constantly struggling to comprehend with the.