Prior to starting a reflection paper, you need to articulate and integrate your classroom experiences and core theme of readings or observations. Take notes a few weeks before the paper is due.
Brainstorming of the key ideas is also quite an important step the allow jotting down of the key ideas and thoughts based on thinking and reading. You will also need to determine what ideas can stand out and help you support your opinions. For the reflection papers having personal experiences, you are going to make notes to specific details pertaining to your experiences. What you can do about it?
Ask yourself what ideas have you developed, competencies created and enhanced, attitudes refined, etc. and elaborate on how those developed; how all this was inspired
- Questioning yourself for helping you in propelling your response is another key step. Sometimes, you might feel that you are struggling in articulating your own thoughts and feelings. For that, you can ask questions pertaining to your readings, assignments, or experiences. It could include question that involved the readings, experiences, or even lectures to challenge your developed emotional, social, cultural, or even theological thoughts. Further it could involve the extent to which it has influenced your thoughts.
- Outline your reflection before you write it. You won't need to turn this in but it will provide you the structural integrity needed for a well organized reflection.