1.
Details, details, details
You have to include a lot of details. This is the part that will make your paper a success.
The reader needs to know how things looked, how it smelled, and what it felt like. The
more details that are used, the better the paper will be. You need to paint a picture with
your words so that whoever is reading it can really “see” what was going on. If you can add
a lot of detail to your piece, it will make it easier for your reader to be able to use their
imagination to picture what happened.
Reflective thinking demands that you recognise that you bring valuable
knowledge to every experience. It helps you therefore to recognise and
clarify the important connections between what you already know and what
you are learning. It is a way of helping you to become an active, aware and
critical learner.
Once you’ve successfully emptied the contents of your memory, you need
to start reflecting. A great way to do this is to pick out some reflection
questions which will help you think deeper about the impact and lasting
effects of your experience. Here are some useful questions that you can
consider:
– What have you learned about yourself as a result of the experience?
– Have you developed because of it? How?
– Did it have any positive or negative bearing on your life?
– Looking back, what would you have done differently?
– Why do you think you made the particular choices that you did? Do you
think these were the right choices?
– What are your thoughts on the experience in general? Was it a useful
learning experience? What specific skills or perspectives did you acquire as
a result?
But what remains the same, is that you need to start your outline by
drafting the introduction, body and conclusion. More on this below.
Introduction
As is the case with all essays, your reflective essay must begin within an
introduction that contains both a hook and a thesis statement. The point of
having a ‘hook’ is to grab the attention of your audience or reader from the
very beginning. You must portray the exciting aspects of your story in the
initial paragraph so that you stand the best chances of holding your
reader’s interest. Refer back to the opening quote of this article – did it grab
your attention and encourage you to read more? The thesis statement is a
brief summary of the focus of the essay, which in this case is a particular
experience that influenced you significantly. Remember to give a quick
overview of your experience – don’t give too much information away or you
risk your reader becoming disinterested.
Body
Next up is planning the body of your essay. This can be the hardest part of
the entire paper; it’s easy to waffle and repeat yourself both in the plan and
in the actual writing. Have you ever tried recounting a story to a friend only
for them to tell you to ‘cut the long story short’? They key here is to put
plenty of time and effort into planning the body, and you can draw on the
following tips to help you do this well:
Try adopting a chronological approach. This means working through
everything you want to touch upon as it happened in time. This kind of
approach will ensure that your work is systematic and coherent. Keep in
mind that a reflective essay doesn’t necessarily have to be linear, but
working chronologically will prevent you from providing a haphazard
recollection of your experience. Lay out the important elements of your
experience in a timeline – this will then help you clearly see how to piece
your narrative together.
Ensure the body of your reflective essay is well focused and contains
appropriate critique and reflection. The body should not only summarise
your experience, it should explore the impact that the experience has had
on your life, as well as the lessons that you have learned as a result. The
emphasis should generally be on reflection as opposed to summation. A
reflective posture will not only provide readers with insight on your
experience, it’ll highlight your personality and your ability to deal with or
adapt to particular situations.
Conclusion
In the conclusion of your reflective essay, you should focus on bringing
your piece together by providing a summary of both the points made
throughout, and what you have learned as a result. Try to include a few
points on why and how your attitudes and behaviours have been changed.
Consider also how your character and skills have been affected, for
example: what conclusions can be drawn about your problem-solving
skills? What can be concluded about your approach to specific situations?
What might you do differently in similar situations in the future? What steps
have you taken to consolidate everything that you have learned from your
experience? Keep in mind that your tutor will be looking out for evidence of
reflection at a very high standard.
Models for reflective writing:
One common model is the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, which has 6 parts:
Describe what happened
Feelings How did it make you feel?
Evaluate What was good or bad?
Analyse What sense can you make of the situation? (Include external issues)
Conclude What general and specific conclusions can you draw?
Action What next, or what will you do next time?
Adapted from Western Sydney University School of Nursing and Midwifery (2016, pp. 70-
72).
Another model is the 4Rs model of reflective thinking:
level Stage Questions to get you started
1 Reporting Report what happened or what the issue or incident involved.
Why is it relevant?
Respond to the incident or issue by making observations,
expressing your opinion, or asking questions.
2 Relating Relate or make a connection between the incident or issue and
your own skills, professional experience, or discipline knowledge.
Have I seen this before?
Were the conditions the same or different?
Do I have the skills and knowledge to deal with this? Explain.
3 Reasoning Highlight in detail significant factors underlying the incident or
issue.
Explain and show why they are important to an understanding of
the incident or issue.
Consider different perspectives. How would a knowledgeable
person perceive/handle this? What are the ethics involved?
4 Reconstructing Reframe or reconstruct future practice or professional
understanding.
How would I deal with this next time?
What might work and why? Are there different options?
What might happen if…?
Are my ideas supported by theory? Can I make changes to
benefit others?
The 4 Rs of reflective thinking, from Ryan & Ryan (2012, p. 18, Appendix A).