ESSAY REFLECTION GUIDELINES
For each of the four major written assignments that you will complete this semester will write a 1 (one) page thoughtful response to each assignment that focuses on the processes you used in composing your essay. In this one (1) FULL page (and no less), you should discuss a minimum of five (5) different points listed below.
FORM
•
These should be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman Font
These should be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman Font• Approach this as you would a freewrite writing whatever comes to mind about your 5 points.
• Do not number these five points or identify them to me in anyway.
• Just be sure that the end result is one full-page typed double-spaced.
CONTENT
•You should discuss a minimum of five (5) different points listed below:
You should discuss a minimum of five (5) different points listed below:1.A big problem I had in writing on my topic
A big problem I had in writing on my topic2.A risk I took
A risk I took3.How I tried to make the assignment my own
How I tried to make the assignment my own4.How the audience I envisioned influenced me
How the audience I envisioned influenced me5.How my personality did or did not affect an important part of my essay
How my personality did or did not affect an important part of my essay6.A paragraph where I was especially aware of pace or syntax
A paragraph where I was especially aware of pace or syntax7.The type of comment I expect/want/dread from my reader
The type of comment I expect/want/dread from my reader8.Where text/instructor/peer most influenced me
Where text/instructor/peer most influenced me9.Where I tried to respond to your criticism from an earlier essay
Where I tried to respond to your criticism from an earlier essay10. Where I broke a grammatical/spelling/syntax rule(s) on purpose
11. Where I surrendered to my intellect/emotions
12. How I improved on my writing process
13. The mechanics of the writing process that most interfered with this assignment
assignment14. How I picked someone’s brain on a particular topic without them knowing what I was doing
knowing what I was doing15. What most intimidated me about the assignment/topic and how I fought back
fought back16. How I would improve this essay if I had more time or one more draft
17. What I hope my reader(s) won’t/will catch
18. Where I might publish this essay and what I would have to do to adapt it to the publication
adapt it to the publication19. How I tried to integrate insight from another course
20. How I hoped to make my essay distinct from others
21. How I tried to offend/confuse/intimidate/trounce the reader and still get away with it
get away with it22. Where my gender/family/neighborhood/city/race/century/religion helped/interfered
helped/interfered23. If I had time to write a completely different essay, I would…
24. How childishness/maturity/sophistication/innocence intruded
25. How I experimented with diction
26. My best claim to originality/creativity
27. How I focused and focused and focused until I got it right
28. Where I fudged/embellished/improved on the truth
29. Help or hindrance I experienced gathering information
30. I wanted to mainly inform/convert/wound/heal/etc…
31. Please don’t miss…
32. Most researchers discover that the more they learn, the more they
still need to know about their subjects. If you had more time to work on this essay, which sources would you investigate further? Why?33 What was the most difficult problem you had to solve during your
collecting, shaping, drafting, and revising? What helped you most as
you tried to solve this problem (further reading, additional writing,
advice from peers)? Explain.
34. What was the best workshop advice that you received? What did you
revise in your draft because of that advice? What advice did you
ignore? Why?
35. What caused you the most difficulty with this essay? How did you solve the problem—or attempt to solve it? With what parts are you still
least satisfied?
36. What are the best parts of your paper? Refer to specific paragraphs—what do you like best about them?
paragraphs—what do you like best about them?37. What was the single most important thing you learned about investigating a topic or about your writing or writing process as you
investigating a topic or about your writing or writing process as you wrote this paper?DUE
The reflection is due at the beginning of class the day the final draft of the assignment is due.
Reflections should be included in the same Microsoft Word file as your final draft. Place it after the presentation of your paper in this single file.
This single file containing your final draft and reflection should be submitted to the appropriate file in Ulearn no later than class time on the date that the final draft of your paper is due (see course schedule).
One full letter grade will be deducted from the final grade for an assignment if the reflection is not included with your final draft submitted to Ulearn.
