Reflection is the bridge between experience and learning. It is not just about looking back; it is about making sense of what happened to inform what comes next.
Inquiry Questions
Inquiry Questions
How do I do reflective writing in a way that is valuable to me?
What else could I do if reflective writing isn't my thing?
Key Terms: Description vs. Meaning/Significance, DIEP Model
ATL Skills
Common Mistakes and Valuable Practices
Common Mistakes and Valuable Practices
Common Mistake #1:
Passivity
Common Mistake #1:
Passivity
Avoid simply describing your experiences or explaining a concept. Instead, reflect on the meaning and significance of those experiences.
For example:
Common Mistake #3:
Generalizations
Common Mistake #3:
Generalizations
d
Valuable Practice #4: Use "I" language
Valuable Practice #4: Use "I" language
Put yourself at the center of your experiences rather than focusing on others.
For example:
Focusing on others: "She was so disrespectful for not calling, always thinking about herself."
Yourself at the center: "I was very hurt when I didn't get any messages on my birthday."
Likewise, use "I" language that drives introspection and self-awareness, such as "I realized," "I learned," or "I felt."
Valuable Practice #5: Be specific
Valuable Practice #5: Be specific
Use concrete examples and details to illustrate your points. Instead of writing about generalities or using vague statement, try to pinpoint the exact incident or situation that caused some feeling.
For example:
Vague: "I had a bad day at school."
Specific: "I felt really upset after failing my math test. I had studied hard, but I still couldn't understand the concepts. It made me doubt my abilities."
By providing specific details, you're becoming clearer about your experiences.
Valuable Practice #6: Connect the dots
Valuable Practice #6: Connect the dots
Explore the relationships between your actions, beliefs, and feelings. How did one influence another? For example, you thought you will never be good at chemistry (belief), which caused you (action) to avoid studying and doom scroll for an afternoon.
Another valuable way to connect the dots is to identify connections or patterns between separate experiences. For example, you connected your belief that you will never be good at chemistry with a past experience of getting a bad chemistry mark after studying hard.
To connect even more dots, back up to uncover the context of your experiences.
For example:
"I did get a bad mark and you did study hard, but it was also an exam in which everyone didn't do well, or found it hard to focus during the exam because you had very little sleep, or your thoughts were really scattered because you had an argument that morning with your best friend.
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