The an essay which presents
Personal your insights on a
particular aspect of life as
Reflective you have observed and
Essay experienced it.
it is meant to enhance your perspective and
inspire your readers to explore their own
thoughts about the subject you have
presented.
Some points of Reflection when writing a
Reflective Essay
Why do I consider this instance important?
How did I feel while it was happening?
Why did I react that way?
What lessons have I gained from it?
What have I learned about myself, about other
people ,and about the world?
Subject of a Reflective Essay
It may range from daily incidents to special episodes
in your life which you consider as a striking incident or
a turning point that made you pause and think about
what it signifies.
Features of a Personal Reflective Essay
1. Begin with an intriguing topic – something
that interests you, or stirs something in
you.
2. The main body of the essay needs to be
interesting to your audience. The ideas
should relate to one another and to the
main insight of the essay.
3. The following structure can be used:
Narrative = told from the perspective of
one who has learned or realized something
from the subject.
Vivid/Descriptive details = this is to help
your audience visualize what you are
writing about and therefore understand the
significance that you have reflected on.
Reading Text : The Blind Man’s Message
by Exie Abola
Abola narrates his experience of the massage
but at the same time describes to us what he sees,
smells, and hears around him.
Note how his descriptions trigger the
questions he asks in different parts of the essay-
questions that reveal his thoughts and feelings.
His reflections are given to us in bits and
pieces through questions to let the readers
realize why this event is significant to the
writer.
He makes us realize how lucky that we still
have our sense of sight and invites us to feel
empathy (just as he did) for blind people.
The heart of a reflective essay is on better
understanding of the world through your
subject , an insight from pondering and
probing, which you want to share with the rest
of the world.
Writing the Personal Reflective Essay
1. Consider your purpose and communication context
such as : recent incident in your country or
community ; childhood episode in your life ;
undiscovered features of your personal hobby
2. Consider your audience and your mode and medium
in choosing the level of language you will use.
Ex. of audience= young people from different
cultural backgrounds
Ex. of mode = Will your piece be read in class? /
post in your blog? / or submit it to an online
publication?
3. Consider your tone in presenting your stance.
Ex. of Tone = humorous ; serious; romantic
Steps in Writing the Personal Reflective Essay
1. Brainstorming
Choose a topic that is closest to your heart so your
ideas can flow smoothly.
Consider your writing style when you brainstorm
Examples of Writing styles :
- outline / bullet
- go straight to writing your
paragraph.
2. Writing the draft
Order of the essay :
1. Introduction = provide a brief background of the
topic to catch your reader’s attention.
= the thesis statement or the main
idea is usually written in the
introduction or in the conclusion.
2. Body or discussion = the thesis statement is
elaborated in body of the essay through
examples or illustrations to enable the
audience to understand the main point
of the essay.
3. Conclusion = this part presents the summary of
the essay and restates the thesis. It
usually ends with a general statement that
persuades the readers to agree with the stance
of the writer.
use your unique voice and style in relaying your
ideas to your audience to let them know who you
are.
you may enhance your essay in English with other
languages to become more distinct, vibrant, and
enlightening.
if your essay focuses on delicate matters ,protect
the identities of the people who may be involved.,
come up with a general description and you do not
have to name them unless they give you the
permission.
3. Revising the draft
Edit your statements in terms of grammar
conventions and mechanics ( e.g. spelling,
punctuation marks, etc. ) to make your work more
intelligible to your intended audience.
Show it to your peers or teacher to get feedback.
Re-read your work as your reader so you can
identify the items that nee further improvement.
4. Presenting your work
Finalize your work and present it to your teacher,
share it with your peers.
If you intend to submit it for publication, be sure
to know their prescribed format and other
specifications.
Activity: Write your personal reflective essay
on the topic:
“My Life in the midst of COVID 19”
Follow the steps in writing a personal
reflective essay.
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