After a teaching placement, a student submits a 1,500-word reflective essay. It recounts each week in detail: class size, what the mentor said, which lessons went smoothly and which ran out of time. The mark is lower than she hoped. The feedback: “Very thorough description, but what did you learn, why did things happen as they did, and what will you do differently?”
Reflective writing is a familiar genre in teacher education, nursing, medicine and social work, and increasingly common in project and placement modules. It puzzles many students because it asks for two apparently contradictory things: writing about yourself, in the first person, while still producing reasoned, evidence-based academic work.
How reflection differs from description
| Level | Features | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | Recounts what happened | “In the third lesson, pupils became noisy when I split them into groups.” |
| Descriptive with feeling | Adds emotion without explanation | “I felt flustered and lost confidence.” |
| Analytical | Looks for causes, considers perspectives, links to theory | “My grouping instructions were long and set three tasks at once, exactly what cognitive load theory warns against.” |
| Transformative | Draws principles and a concrete plan for change | “From next week I will give step-by-step instructions, written on the board, and check understanding with one question before pupils move.” |
Strong reflective essays spend little space on the first two levels and most on the last two. A rough guide: about a fifth description, the rest analysis and action.
Two widely used models
The three-question model: What happened? So what, meaning why does it matter and what does it mean? Now what, meaning what will I do next? It is short, memorable and well suited to brief weekly journals.
Gibbs’ reflective cycle has six stages: description, feelings, evaluation (what went well and badly), analysis (why), conclusion (what else could have been done) and action plan. It suits longer pieces on a single critical incident.
Models are scaffolding, not moulds. Many tutors dislike essays that use the stage names as headings mechanically. Check whether your module expects a particular model.
Choosing what to write about
Do not try to reflect on everything in a placement. Choose one or two critical incidents: moments of surprise, of things not going to plan, or of a difficult decision. They need not be major failures. A pupil’s question you could not answer, or a patient refusing treatment, usually makes better material than a session where “everything went well”.
First person and tone
Reflective writing uses the first person: “I did”, “I realised”. The tone is still academic: precise, reasoned and not emotionally overblown. Mention feelings when they help explain actions (“worried about time, I skipped the comprehension check”), not to make the essay moving.
Honesty matters more than a flattering self-portrait. An essay that recounts only successes and concludes “I have grown enormously” usually scores lower than a candid analysis of one mistake and how you would fix it.
Linking to theory and evidence
What separates academic reflection from a private diary is the link between experience and literature. There are three ways to make it:
- Theory explains experience: what you met is an instance of a well-studied concept.
- Experience challenges theory: advice from the textbook did not work in your setting, and you try to explain why.
- Literature suggests a different approach: research that proposes the strategy you plan to try next.
Two to four well-chosen sources are usually enough for 1,500 words. Cite them in the required style, as in any academic assignment.
Confidentiality when writing about others
Professional reflection often involves pupils, patients, clients and colleagues. Never use real names or details that could identify someone (school, ward, specific dates, rare conditions). Use generic labels (“a Year 8 pupil”, “Patient A”) and state that identifying details have been changed. Many programmes have explicit rules on this; read them carefully.
A rewritten paragraph
Descriptive: “During the practical session, an elderly patient would not cooperate when I took her blood pressure. I felt stressed. Afterwards my mentor helped me.”
Reflective: “When I took an elderly patient’s blood pressure, she pulled her arm away twice. Looking back, I began without explaining what I was about to do and stood where she could not easily see me. Guidance on communicating with older adults stresses introducing yourself and announcing each step; I skipped both because I wanted to finish quickly while my mentor watched. From my next shift I will introduce myself, sit at the patient’s eye level and explain each step before doing it, and I will note in my practice log whether this reduces refusals.”
Checklist before you submit
- Description takes up no more than about a fifth of the essay.
- At least one paragraph analyses causes and considers more than one explanation.
- Links to the literature, correctly cited.
- Ends with a concrete action plan you can observe or measure.
- No real names or identifying details.
- Meets the model or criteria your module requires.
Try this: pick one incident from the past week and write exactly three paragraphs answering what happened, so what and now what, each about 100 words. Do it weekly, and by the time the final reflective essay is due you will have ready material and a practised voice.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
What is reflective writing?
Reflective writing is first-person writing that analyses a learning or practice experience, explains why things happened as they did, links them to theory and identifies what you will do differently. It is common in teacher education, nursing, medicine and social work.
Can I use “I” in a reflective essay?
Yes, and it is usually expected. The tone should still be precise, reasoned and evidence-based like other academic writing, without exaggerated emotion.
What are the stages of Gibbs’ reflective cycle?
There are six: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan. The model works well for a reflective piece focused on a single critical incident.
Do reflective essays need references?
Usually yes. Linking your experience to theory and research is what distinguishes academic reflection from a personal diary. A few well-chosen, correctly cited sources are normally enough.
How should I write about patients or pupils in a reflection?
Do not use real names or details that could identify them. Use generic labels, state that identifying details have been changed and follow your programme’s confidentiality rules.
