Types Of Reflective Writing:
Experiential Reflection:
Popular in professional programs, like business, nursing, social service, forensics and education, reflection is a social work part of making connections between theory and practice. When you are asked to reflect upon experience in a placement, you do not solely describe your experience, but you evaluate it based on ideas from class. You can assess a theory or approach based on your observations and practice and evaluate your own knowledge and skills within your professional field. This opportunity to take the time to think about your choices, your actions, your successes and your failures is best done within a specific framework, like course themes or work placement objectives. Abstract concepts can become concrete and real to you when considered within your own experiences, and reflection on your experiences allows you to make plans for improvement.Reading Reflection:
To encourage a thoughtful and balanced assessment of readings, many interdisciplinary courses might ask you to submit a reading reflection. Often instructors can indicate to students what they expect of a reflection, but the general purpose is to elicit your informed opinions about ideas presented in the text and to consider how they affect your interpretation. Reading reflections offer an opportunity to recognize – and perhaps break down – your assumptions which may be challenged by the text(s).Experiential Reflection:
It is best to discuss your experiences in a work placement or practicum within the context of personal or organizational goals; doing so provides vital insights and perspective for your own growth in the profession. For reflective writing, it is important to balance reporting or descriptive writing with critical reflection and analysis.How To Write A Reflective Paragraph?
Writing reflectively for the purposes of an assignment should not involve merely describing one thing that happened. Nor will it mean pouring out everything you think and feel in a totally unstructured way. Reflective writing requires a clear line of thought, use of evidence or examples for example your reflections and an analytical approach.Description:
What did you do? What was the context? Where did it happen? How did it happen? What happened? (Keep it relevant, give background information to the point)
Feelings:
What were you thinking? How did you feel? (Before and after the incident)
Evaluation:
What made you happy/ unhappy about the incident? What was good/bad about the experience? What were your reactions? (Look at both sides to the situation) ANALYSIS why did things happen the way they did? What sense can you build of the situation? Are there any perspectives that challenge your views? What might have helped or hindered you?
Conclusion:
What else could you have done? What have you learned? What can you change in the future? (Come to a general as well as a specific conclusion)
Action Plan:
If you find yourself in a similar situation once more, what would you do? What are you going to do differently next time? What steps are you going to take on the basis of what you have learnt?
Concluding On A Reflective Note:
Reflection is a useful process even if you have not been set a specific reflective assignment. It helps you to make sense of and learn from your experiences. Many degrees involve assessed reflective writing. This is to allow you to demonstrate that you can think critically about your own skills or practice, in order to enhance and learn. It is necessary to analyze rather than just describe the things you are reflecting on, and to emphasize however you'll apply what you have learned.
