Writing a Reflection Paper
What Is It?
A reflection paper is an essay of your thoughts about something that could be a movie, book, incident, etc. To put it simply, it is a paper on what you think about something. Most teachers would require students to write about a similar subject such as a reflection essay on this movie or that event. Others would give a general topic. Yours will be on the essay What Boys and Men Can Learn from Ken.
What It’s Not
To ensure that you will write the right type of essay, it is also important that you know what it is not. For instance, a reflection paper is not a piece composed of mixed thoughts of other people. No matter how well-known the people you will quote, you will end up with a failing grade as this type of essay requires your own thoughts. You may however, include quotes from the author to reference or support your thoughts.
What Should Be in the Reflection Paper?
To understand what a reflection paper is, knowing what should be in it might also help. A reflection paper should be mostly about your personal insights. It could be your experiences and beliefs. It could also be your personal observations. It is a simple reflection paper. It is easy to write because you just have to express your thoughts and how you see things and how this relates to the work What Boys and Men Can Learn from Ken.
To make it easy for you (considering that you already have a subject), you can start by describing the big picture in the introduction. There is no rule on how you should write the introduction, but it is best to give an idea – a general statement – that prepares the reader for the body of your reflection paper. Be sure to include your thesis statement in the introduction. It is the statement that sums up the entire essay.
Aside from the introduction which should include a narration or description of the subject, a reflection paper should also have a body. Since it is a reflection essay, it should be your own words and how you exactly perceive things. It should state your personal insight, which makes it different from other types of essays. What was the purpose of the piece? How is it important in women’s and gender studies? What did you learn? What did you agree or disagree with? Include examples from the essay to support your claims.
Finally, your reflection should contain a conclusion. This is not the time to introduce new thoughts but rather a summary of your statements from the body of your work and final thoughts on the value of the piece.
*What is a reflection paper? To put it simply, a reflection paper or essay is something that reflects your insights, opinions, or observations. You could quote once in a while but the essay should not be entirely what other people think about the subject. Like other types of essays, it should have an introduction (thesis statement), body and conclusion (judgment and summary).
This assignment is very informal in that there is NO cover page, NO reference page but to write as instructed above. It should be 2-3 pages in length, double-spaced.
