Writing Exercise: Reflection Essay

I was nervous the first time I stood in front of a classroom to teach. The chairs were arranged in an arc around the perimeter of the room, creating a stadium like atmosphere, cutting me off from the door. I was either the grand master, or the hapless victim.

Regardless of your definition, it would be hard to promote this to story or narrative. It sets the stage for something more, but as is, it’s pretty basic. If I were to continue and write about how the day went, my efforts to engage the class in a discussion, falling back on a writing prompt to take up time, and feeling like a fraud as I fumbled about, it would be a story. But what if this followed it:

I quickly learned three things. The first was about having to smile and feign being an expert in composition. It didn't matter that I had never taken a composition course before; everything I knew of it I had gained piecemeal over my years as an undergraduate literature student. The second thing I learned was I had the knowledge. I could answer their questions and, as scattered as some of the early ones were, put together a lesson. But most of all, I learned that I could teach.

This is the makings of a Reflection Essay. What separates this kind of writing from anecdotes or stories is you interpret the events you are describing. Hence the reflection. Reflective writing is when you think back to a time, instance, or experience – something significant in shaping who you are and addressing both the circumstances of the event and what you gained from that experience.

This means reflective writing can be an odd combination of creative writing and interpretation.

On the one hand, it is important to recreate the experience, and if appropriate, provide sensory detail to create the experience for your reader. Write about what you saw and heard, as well as what you felt (both physically and emotionally). The purpose is to relive your experience so that the reader can understand your position.

Other people may have stood in front of their first classroom with enthusiasm. A lot of people will never have that opportunity. Therefore, I need to let the reader know that I was nervous, and what it was that made me nervous (in this case, the fact I was teaching a subject I had never had a class in myself), but if I can give more description of the place, the mood, and most importantly, my mental and emotional state, it will make it easier for my reader to understand my interpretation.

The interpretation makes a reflective essay what it is. After giving the details to set the scene, whether physical or mental, internal or external, you have to consider what you gained from this experience: how has it shaped you into the person that you are? In a “and knowing is half the battle” sort of way, the interpretation is the moral of the story: what you gained from it and what you hope your reader understands as well.

We may not always know what we gained from an experience until we reflect on it. Sometimes, especially when we're in school, we don't take time to stop and think about where we are and how we got where we are. Reflective writing, whether required or not, is a valuable endeavor. It’s an opportunity to stop and think things through, and a chance to get to know yourself a little bit better.