Assignments in School: Reflection Paper
After viewing a film, reading an article, or watching a play in school, teachers often assign a reflection paper for the students. Aside from allowing students to practice their writing skills, the reflection paper is a way for them to share what they learned.
Although reflection papers are much easier to do than analysis essays or research papers, some students still have difficulty. If that is you, read on to learn how to tackle the reflection paper.
Purpose of the paper
The reflection paper is supposed to present your views on a particular topic - how you feel about it, what new insights you picked up, and how it has changed your worldview. But even though it is subjective, the paper is still supposed to be formal and logical.
- Brainstorm about what you want to share
The first thing to do is to brainstorm about how the activity affected you. If you still have access to the article or movie, you can view it again to help you remember the details. If not, then you will have to rely on memory or perhaps read a synopsis of what you watched to jog your memory.
Then you should consider some of the following questions:
- What expectations did you have before the activity?
- What insight did you pick up (if any)?
- Did it impact you in any way?
- Were you reminded of any past or present experiences?
- Did you expect to read or see something that was not present?
- Would you recommend it to others?
These guide questions should give you the general content of your paper.
- Introduction
Similar to other essays, this should give a quick background of what you read or saw. In the end, you should mention your thesis, which is basically what your essay will discuss.
- Body
Since many teachers require the reflection to be substantial in length, but not too long. You should expect a paper that is between 500 and 600 words long. This means you should have two or three main points you would like to share in the body. For this, you may refer to the guide questions above (#1) and choose what you believe will best share your thoughts about the activity.
Please note, your paper does not always have to be positive. If you did not like the article or play because it was boring for you or too shallow, then say so. Just make sure you explain why. You may even give a suggestion or two about it.
- Conclusion
As in other papers, your conclusion should summarize your views discussed in the Body. Do not introduce any new ideas as it will confuse your reader. And if possible, find a strong way to end it by catching your reader’s attention.
Summary
The reflection paper is one of the few papers in school where most of it comes from your opinion about the topic. So take a look at the pointers above so that you make a great reflection paper.