Write a 3-4 page reflection (double-spaced, 12-pt font) in which you assess your performance in this course and propose a final grade for yourself. Your reflection should address the following components:
Part 1: Engagement with Course Material (1/2 - 1 pages)
Reflect on your engagement with the readings, lectures, and discussions:
- Reading the Odyssey: How consistently did you complete the weekly readings? What challenges did you face, and how did you address them? What sections of the poem resonated most with you, and why?
- Weekly Lectures and Discussions: Did you engage thoughtfully with the instructor's lectures in the Discussion section? How would you characterize the quality of your discussion responses—both your paragraph responses and your interactions with classmates?
- Understanding Homer: What did you learn about Homer's recreation of the Bronze Age, his treatment of gods and humans, his depiction of war and relationships? Can you speak to what accounts for the poem's 2,700-year longevity?
Part 2: Development as a Writer (1-1.5 pages)
Assess your growth across the two major writing assignments:
- Short Paper (3 - 4 pages with Knox as a secondary source): How successfully did you create a "conversation" between your interpretation and Knox's reading? What did you learn about placing your ideas within a larger critical conversation? What were the strengths and weaknesses of this paper?
- Research Paper (8-10 pages with 3-5 sources): Evaluate your work on this final project. Consider:
- Your thesis development and argumentation
- Your ability to summarize and engage with critical sources fairly and accurately
- Your close reading skills—analyzing scenes and passages from the poem
- Your use of the MLA citation format
- The quality of your research process (finding sources, creating bibliography, drafting, revising)
- Did your writing skills improve between the first and second essays?
Part 3: Meeting Course Learning Objectives (1/2-1 page)
Reflect on your progress toward the ENGL 102 learning objectives:
- Research skills: How well did you formulate a research proposal, evaluate sources, and synthesize multiple perspectives?
- Writing as a process: How effectively did you use drafting, revision, feedback, and editing in your work?
- Citation practices: How comfortable are you now with MLA style and documentation?
- Ethical, culturally responsive writing: How has reading Homer—a text that's 2,700 years old and from a very different culture—affected your understanding of the relationships between language, knowledge, and power?
Part 4: Your Proposed Grade (1/2-3/4 page)
Based on your honest self-assessment, propose a final grade for yourself. Use the grading breakdown from the syllabus:
- Reading Response Paragraphs in Discussions: 20%
- Short Paper with one outside source: 30%
- Research Paper with 3-5 outside sources: 50%
- Course Reflection: add on to determine grade
Your grade proposal should:
- Reference specific examples from your work (for example, you might compare thesis statements, give an example of your critical analysis, or show MLA citation development).
- Acknowledge both strengths and areas where you fell short ( What was challenging for you? Time management? Getting started? Motivation to research? etc.)
- Align with the grading standards described in the syllabus (recall: "A" papers feature clean writing, clear thought, and nuanced argument; "B" papers show comparative lack of these qualities; "C" means adequate or competent work)
- Consider the professor's statement: "I reward effort and enthusiasm."
Part 5: Looking Forward (1/4 page)
Briefly discuss what you'll take from this course into future academic work. What skills will transfer? What do you still want to improve?
Submission Guidelines
- Length: 2-3 pages, double-spaced
- Format: Standard academic formatting (12-pt font, 1-inch margins)
- Tone: Honest, specific, and reflective—avoid vague generalizations
- Due Date: December 11, 2025
- Submission: In this assignment
Evaluation Criteria
Your reflection will be assessed on:
- Honesty and self-awareness: Are you critically examining your own work?
- Specificity: Do you reference concrete examples from your assignments and participation?
- Thoughtfulness: Does your reflection demonstrate genuine engagement with the course goals?
- Writing quality: Is your reflection well-organized, clearly written, and carefully edited?