Embracing

changes and
living through
experiences:

A Take-Away to
Reflective Essay
Writing
Real Talk
The most memorable experience I
ever had was….

I have learned that…..

Today, I look at it as…..

Let us recall…

What is the goal of

writing of an
autobiography or
biography ?
What is the goal of
reportage writing?
Reflection Essay Defined

It is an essay in which the writer

examines his/her experiences in
life. The author then writes about
those experiences exploring how
he or she has changed, developed
or grown from those experiences.
Reflection Essay Defined

The purpose of writing such

essay is to provide a platform for
the author to not only recount a
particular life experience, but
also to explore the changes
brought by the experience.
Types of Reflective Essay
Focus on Personal Growth
-intended to help students to
learn how to analyse their
personal life experiences to
promote emotional growth
and development
Types of Reflective Essay
Focus on Literature
-requires student to provide
a summary of the literature
after which it is applied to
their own life experiences
Format of a Reflection Essay
Introduction
The author shares indirectly or
directly the focus of the reflection.
Academic writers are more direct
on explaining what aspect of his/ her
experiences that he/she will talk
about (parameters)
Format of a Reflection Essay
Body
The author explains how he/she has
changed or what the writer has learned
including the things that caused him/her
to change.
A reflective writer does not only share
the change but also gives examples as
details.
Format of a Reflection Essay
Conclusion
The writer sums up how he or she has
changed or the effect of those changes.
The writer also can look ahead or look
backward. To look ahead, the writer
will ponder how the experiences will
change him/her in the near future.
 The Pre-writing Prompt
1. Identify the topic.
2. Note down any ideas that are related
to the topic and if you want to try
drawing a diagram to link together
any topic.
3. Allow your ideas to flow freely
knowing that you will always have
time to edit your work.
4. Consider how your ideas are
Signpost Questions:
Kick start to the
Reflective Process
 What personal experiences do I
have that are worth writing?

What have I learned about myself

as a result of the experience?

Have I developed because of it?

How?
 Did it have any positive or
negative bearing in my life?

Looking back, what could have I

done differently?

Did I make the right choices?

Was it a useful learning experience
Final Notes to Remember

The key to writing a reflective

essay is demonstrating what
lessons you have taken away
from your experiences and why
and how you have been shaped
by these lessons.
Final Notes to Remember

The reflective process begins with

you- you must consciously make
an effort to identify and examine
your own thoughts in relation to
a particular experience.