At this point, there’s no need to look at your course notes or readings. stage helps you make initial observations about what you feel and think. But what if I really was a member of the homosexual community? I felt, for a moment, wrong for being in that store. You could be writing about a job shadowing experience, volunteer work you completed or something personal in your life that occurred, such as overcoming an illness. This description crystalized for me when I shopped for a greeting card at the stationary store. If you’re writing a reflection on a certain text, annotate your initial emotions and thoughts while reading it. : I became aware of privileged positions in society only in recent years. I realized that, along with its products, the store was selling an image of normal. A popular method for analyzing is the three stage model. Thus, the next step for me is to not only question privilege internally, but to publicly question covert bias and oppression. Below are sample annotated paragraphs from one student’s critical reflection for a course on society and privilege. Visit our COVID-19 information website to learn how Warriors protect Warriors. Critical reflection is not a reading assignment, a summary of an activity, or an emotional outlet. In the What? In the second So What? Tip: Since you’ll be using more course resources in this step, review your readings and course notes before you begin writing. The looks and the silence taught me that I should be feared. This description crystalized for me when I shopped for a greeting card at the stationary store. Writer’s current position: The clerk’s demeanor changed. But my actions might just encourage other people to speak up as well. If I do, I may very well be shamed for speaking out. Use the questions below to guide your writing during this stage. Some customers stopped to look at me. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Indigenous Initiatives Office. I was free to check, she said. Rather, the goal is to change your thinking about a subject, and thus change your behaviour. Determine why that material stands out and make another note of what you figure out. I could get out of the situation with a simple clarification. It is mandatory to talk about your personal experiences at this point since that is the ‘heaviest’ part of the reflection paper. Thesis: Without meaning to, I caused harm by participating in a system where I gained from others’ subtle oppression. What are you going to do as a result of your experiences. Write about your personal experiences from an in-depth perspective. For lectures or readings, you can write down … There, as a white, heterosexual male, I felt comfortable and empowered to roam about the store as I pleased. Critical reflection essays demand higher academic standards, as the writing must evaluate, interpret and analyze the topic. These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point.Step 2, Jot down material that stands out in your mind. Value for self and others: All of this, as Brown (2003) documents, is exacerbated by silence. Writing a critical reflection happens in two phases. Writing a Reflection Paper. However, during a class field study to investigate privileged positions in everyday environments, I learned otherwise. Topic sentence: Peggy McIntosh describes privilege as an invisible knapsack of tools and advantages. Don’t worry about organized paragraphs or good grammar at this stage. You can see an example of a thesis statement in the sample reflection essay at the end of this resource. However, during a class field study to investigate privileged positions in everyday environments, I learned otherwise. Sample paragraphs adapted from https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/jco34/sample-assignments/sample-student-reflection-paper/. Develop a clear argument to help your reader understand what you learned. I freely asked the clerk about a mother’s day card. When you reflect critically, you use course material (lectures, readings, discussions, etc.) Even though you are writing about your personal experience and learning, your audience may still be an academic one. I freely asked the clerk about a mother’s day card. Step 1, Identify the main themes. About the Writing and Communication Centre, https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/jco34/sample-assignments/sample-student-reflection-paper/. To write a strong, defensible critical reflection essay, you must have a strong, defensible thesis statement. The what? I never realized the part I played. Your instructor may ask you to develop a formal essay, produce weekly blog entries, or provide short paragraph answers to a set of questions. [2] X Research source In your notes, summarize the experience, reading, or lesson in one to three sentences. It was the only time during the field study that I had felt the need to explain what I was doing to anyone. Below are three perspectives you can consider: In the third Now what? And it leads to a different kind of shame carried by privileged individuals, too. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. You need to build an organized and clear argument about what you learned and how you changed. stage, describe the issue, including your role, observations, and reactions. Use information from your first stage, your course materials (readings, lectures, discussions) -- as well as previous experience and knowledge to help you think through the issue from a variety of perspectives. To do so, develop a thesis statement, make an outline, write, and revise. That shame is supported every time I or any other privileged individual fails to question our advantage. There are two approaches to writing a reflection paper – a traditional and an original (though a risky one): 1) Express the main idea in a thesis statement, develop it in body paragraphs by providing supportive arguments, and conclude facts by supporting the thesis statement once more. stage, try to understand on a deeper level why the issue is significant or relevant. 2) Start a conversation on topic and hint on a conclusion. In one of these spaces, the local mall, everything from advertisements to food to products, to the locations of doorways, bathrooms and other public necessities, made clear my privilege as a white, heterosexual male. Remember, asking yourself lots of questions is key to ensuring that you think deeply and critically about your experiences – a skill that is at the heart of writing a great reflective essay. Write a conclusion. Below is a straightforward method to organize your essay. There, as a white, heterosexual male, I felt comfortable and empowered to roam about the store as I pleased. -Discuss significance of learning for self and others. Summer of learning: At the mall I realized how much we indirectly shame nonprivileged groups, even in seemingly welcoming spaces. Tip: For more help on developing thesis statements, see our Thesis statements resource. In the past, I defined oppression as only that which is obvious and intentional. I never realized the part I played. Writing a critical reflection happens in two phases. stage, explore how the experience will shape your future thinking and behaviour. Start the paper by explaining the experience that you're writing about. Use free writing as a way to develop good ideas. Analyze: In the first phase, analyze the issue and your role by asking critical questions. The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Consider using models of reflection before, during, and after the learning process to ensure that you maintain a high standard of analysis. I was lucky enough, privileged enough, to be ignorant of such phenomena, but for some, privilege is a daily lesson of how they do not fit into mainstream culture. A Critical Reflection (also called a reflective essay) is a process of identifying, questioning, and assessing our deeply-held assumptions – about our knowledge, the way we perceive events and issues, our beliefs, feelings, and actions. Use the following questions to guide your thinking and writing: After completing the analysis stage, you probably have a lot of writing, but it is not yet organized into a coherent story. Tip: Critical reflections are common in coursework across all disciplines, but they can take very different forms. If you are writing about yourself or an event in your life, brainstorm by making a chart with three columns: past experiences, descriptions, and reflections. However, when I asked the sales clerk for same sex greeting cards, she paused for a few seconds and gave me a look that made me feel instantly uncomfortable. Once you have a clear thesis statement for your essay, build an outline. Time to get writing! Background/context of reflection: I became aware of privileged positions in society only in recent years. Programming for Master's and PhD students, PJ-Friendly Writing Groups for Undergrads. Consult the assignment guidelines or ask your instructor to find out whether your writing should be formal or informal. You are required to talk more about your ideas and opinions about the subject in question. to examine our biases, compare theories with current actions, search for causes and triggers, and identify problems at their core. But my “normality” was another person’s “abnormality.” After I walked out of the store I felt guilty for having denied being homosexual. I felt a heat move over my face. I quickly clarified that I was only doing a report for school, implying that I was not in fact homosexual. You should be able to come up with the critical aspects of the paper during the reflective phase. Work from your outline and give yourself enough time for a first draft and revisions. I was lucky enough, privileged enough, to be ignorant of such phenomena, but for some, privilege is a daily lesson of how they do not fit into mainstream culture. : Peggy McIntosh describes privilege as an invisible knapsack of tools and advantages. 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