Reflective Essay
Making Connections
- Draw on your own prior knowledge, backgrounds, and experiences to create meaning
- Steps:
1. Consider the people, events, places, or things described in the text.
2. Consider the emotions, attitudes, and opinions expressed.
3. Consider the writer’s background.
4. Consider how the above connections enhance your understanding of the text, message, and yourself.
Expressive Style
- A way of writing that relates a writer’s thoughts and feelings in an informal and intimate way.
- Four elements: 1. First-person point of view: pronouns I, me, my, our, we, us 2. Words that expressed feelings 3. Words using common language, including colloquialisms, expressions
4. Evocation language – words with strong connotations, sensory details, and figures of speech.
Prewriting: purpose, audience, and tone
- Purpose:
1. Self-exploration
2. Self-expression
3. entertain
4. share insights about human relationships
- Audience:
1. English teacher
2. Classmates
- Tone:
1. Writer’s attitude
2. Unique voice
3. utilize expressive style
Prewriting: Choose a person
- Who would make a good subject for this reflective essay? Choose a person who is meaningful. Family member? Friend? Neighbor? Coach?
- Subject-generating strategies: 1. Browse through journals, scrapbooks, and letters 2. List people who create strong feelings in you 3. Discuss with a friend
- Is your subject…? 1. Significant 2. Knowable 3. Memorable 4. Publishable
Prewriting: Reflect
- Reflection Questions: 1. How did (or does) the person affect me emotionally? 2. How do I feel about him or her? (Include both negative and positive). 3. What has the person taught me about myself and y relationships with others? 4. How has the person changed my view of human relationships in general?
Prewriting: Recall key anecdotes
- Steps to recalling anecdotes: 1. Brainstorm a list of brief stories/memories.
2. Narrow the list to
- Draw on your own prior knowledge, backgrounds, and experiences to create meaning
- Steps:
1. Consider the people, events, places, or things described in the text.
2. Consider the emotions, attitudes, and opinions expressed.
3. Consider the writer’s background.
4. Consider how the above connections enhance your understanding of the text, message, and yourself.
Expressive Style
- A way of writing that relates a writer’s thoughts and feelings in an informal and intimate way.
- Four elements: 1. First-person point of view: pronouns I, me, my, our, we, us 2. Words that expressed feelings 3. Words using common language, including colloquialisms, expressions
4. Evocation language – words with strong connotations, sensory details, and figures of speech.
Prewriting: purpose, audience, and tone
- Purpose:
1. Self-exploration
2. Self-expression
3. entertain
4. share insights about human relationships
- Audience:
1. English teacher
2. Classmates
- Tone:
1. Writer’s attitude
2. Unique voice
3. utilize expressive style
Prewriting: Choose a person
- Who would make a good subject for this reflective essay? Choose a person who is meaningful. Family member? Friend? Neighbor? Coach?
- Subject-generating strategies: 1. Browse through journals, scrapbooks, and letters 2. List people who create strong feelings in you 3. Discuss with a friend
- Is your subject…? 1. Significant 2. Knowable 3. Memorable 4. Publishable
Prewriting: Reflect
- Reflection Questions: 1. How did (or does) the person affect me emotionally? 2. How do I feel about him or her? (Include both negative and positive). 3. What has the person taught me about myself and y relationships with others? 4. How has the person changed my view of human relationships in general?
Prewriting: Recall key anecdotes
- Steps to recalling anecdotes: 1. Brainstorm a list of brief stories/memories.
2. Narrow the list to