Reflective Essay

YOU MUST USE THIS TEXTBOOK! CHAPTERS 6, 7 AND 8!

Stickle, Wendy, Shelby Hickman, and Christine White. Human Trafficking: A Comprehensive Exploration of Modern Day Slavery. 2020. Sage Publication: Thousand Oaks, CA. LCCN 2019020138 | ISBN 9781506375038

Writing a Reflective Essay:
• In reflective essays, the focus is inward-looking; personal thoughts, feelings, and findings should be included.
• Reflective essays follow the same basic structure as most other essays in that they have an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion.
• The following points should be considered when writing a reflective essay:
o Introduction: Introduce your subject matter—you need to discuss your
reaction to at least 3 concepts.
▪ Identify your feelings and initial responses to the material.
o Body: Describe how your experiences relate to the material and vice versa.
▪ Don’t just say what you found interesting, but why you found it so.
▪ Include the reasons why you came away feeling the way you did.
o Conclusion
▪ What did you learn from the material?
▪ How does it apply to your own life?
Helpful Tips
• Do incorporate your personal feelings into the essay. The purpose of the essay is to find out how your own thoughts and feelings helped shape the message you took away from the course material and/or reading.
• Do use first person. Writing a reflective essay is different than writing a formal persuasive or informative essay. Your professor is interested in finding out what YOU have to say about the material. Using “I felt,” “I found,” and “I realized” are all appropriate in a reflective piece.
• Do make the connection between course material and your own experience. This
is the key in a reflective essay. Your professor is looking for the ways in which
you relate to the material, and how this compares to other’s experiences.
• Do structure your essay clearly. In a reflective essay, you should include a thesis
statement and organize your thoughts logically.
• Don’t go on a rant. While it is fair to suggest ways that the material may have
been more relevant, it is not appropriate to spend the entire essay complaining about your experience.For more information on reflective essay check on this:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_writing