Many scholars contend that the act of reflecting upon one’s own skills is as important to improvement as actually studying and practicing those skills. With that in mind, your last major paper in this course will ask you to construct such a self reflection: one in which you examine your strengths, weaknesses, the progress you’ve made this semester, the significant experiences you’ve had while writing, etc.
Initially, this may seem rather easy compared to the other papers you’ve been tasked with this semester, but that perception is short-sighted. Really stepping back and looking at your abilities and your experiences through an objective lens can be quite difficult, especially when you must then explain it clearly and thoroughly to an audience.
In your self-reflection (which may be written in an informal style, so it’s fine to refer to yourself as “I”), please cover all of the following elements in detail:
Your overall progress this semester, including specific areas in which you’ve improved and areas that still require work
A significant experience you had while conducting research or writing in which you learned something about yourself, about research, or about writing itself
What you have learned about the connection between writing, reading, and critical thinking
A single piece of advice you’d give to a new student entering English 101 (whether online or in person)
Obviously, you may choose the organization of your paper and which points you give more attention, but make sure to create an introduction and conclusion. Also, I will be quite strict when grading mechanical elements, so polish your paper well. You will be graded on the following elements: (1) detail and development; (2) mechanical accuracy; (3) formatting; (4) structure; (5) supporting examples
Reflection Essay (1)CriteriaRatingsPts
Mechanics and Style
20 pts
Less than 1 error per page (avg)
15 pts
1 error per page (avg)
10 pts
2 errors per page (avg)
5 pts
More than 2 errors per page (avg)
/ 20 pts
Detail and Development
20 pts
Fully detailed and developed
15 pts
1/4-1/2 page short and/or lacks some detail
10 pts
3/4-1 page short and/or lacks strong details
5 pts
More than 1 page short and/or contains significant lack of details
/ 20 pts
Structure and Formatting
10 pts
No errors
8 pts
1 significant error
5 pts
2 significant errors
0 pts
More than 2 significant errors
/ 10 pts
Total Points: 0
