Reflective Writing

Best Practices

Inquiry Questions

How do I do reflective writing in a way that is valuable to me?

Key Terms: Description vs. Meaning/Significance, DIEP Model

ATL Skills

Reflective writing is a powerful tool for personal growth and learning. It allows us to examine our experiences, thoughts, and feelings in depth. However, it's easy to make common mistakes that can hinder the effectiveness of your reflective writing. Here are some common mistakes to avoid and best practices to follow.

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:

Source: Skills Team-Hull University, 2014

Common Mistake #2: Reflecting only on the past

Don't just look back at the past experience: look ahead. For reflection to be valuable, it should help guide you in some decision or behaviour going forward. (See also Valuable Practice #4: Connect the dots)

Valuable Practice #1: Write for yourself as you

Not some teacher or social media audience. There is no one judging your writing so no need to be more or less than you are. Be you. Reflect honestly and openly about your thoughts and feelings, even if they are uncomfortable or difficult to admit.

Valuable Practice #2: 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."

Source: Academic Skills-University of Melbourne, 2017

Valuable Practice #3: 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 #4: 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.

Explore More

Video: DIEP Model for Reflective Writing (University of Melbourne, 2017)
Checklist: Reflective Writing Rubric (Chiu, 2023)

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