What is Reflective Writing and Why is it Important?

• What is reflective writing?  How do you do it?  What are others ways you can reflect?

• What is the purpose of reflection assignments?  What about reflection in general?

• What do you really like and /or really find valuable about reflection?

• What are some things that you don't like and/or find challenging about reflection?

During our program each of us will gather a multitude of experiences and insights through classes, labs, authentic field experiences, and learning community conversations around meals.  Because of the integrated nature of studying sustainability, each week will be filled-to-the-brim with experiences that cut across multiple courses and challenge you to consider how your own sets of skills and values fit with your developing insights.   Reflective writing is one tool we use to help you build your own scaffolding to understand your experiences within the larger framework of Sustainability while also taking a step back to evaluate and interrogate your own thoughts, feelings, and emerging ideas while you internalize your learning. 

Each week you have a prompt (see below) that you will reflect on throughout the week.  These are what's called guided reflections - they lead us to think deeply around a certain topic or perspective while providing opportunity to synthesize multiple experiences (present and past).  You are encouraged to keep a small reflection journal to use daily as you process new experiences and perspectives. Your formal reflection is to be handed in as a Google Doc via the website "Turn-in portal" no later than Saturday at 11:59AM.   Reflections are usually about 1 page typed (single space) and are graded via the following 3 rubric topics:

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• Content Recall & Synthesis [70%= 21 pts.]

  • • "Can you take multiple experiences/reflections from your semester as well as your previous experiences and coherently & effectively weave them together around a central topic or topics?"

• Views & Values [20%= 6 pts.]

  • • "Can you identify and articulate what you have observed regarding the role of personal or corporate/community values in decision making surrounding a central topic or topics?  Can you provide evidence of your own interrogation of how your personal views and values interact and/or have shifted as a result of your experiences around this central topic?"

• Call to Action & Growth [10%= 3 pts.]

  • • "How can you translate the insight you have gained through reflection into specific actions (no matter how big or small) that reflect your personal views and values?  What areas of growth have you identified as a result of this reflection?" 

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Grading

• All reflections are worth 30 points each.  

• All reflections are due by SATURDAY at 12:00 pm NOON *unless otherwise noted 

• Each course has two or three reflection assignments count towards the final grade

• Each of the three rubric topics are graded as follows:

  • • below 60%    = not present

    • 60% to 69%  = unclear if present or present & severely underdeveloped 

    • 70% to 79%  = present but underdeveloped

    • 80% to 89%  = present, adequately developed

    • 90% to 100% = present, exceptionally developed

Helpful Hints

• When writing your reflection remember the “Four Ps:” is your writing here purposeful, personal, perceptive & polished? 

• Reflect every day in your private notebook to keep ideas fresh so you have plenty of material to write your weekly reflection

• Write pieces of your weekly reflection throughout the week, you can always go back through Friday evening or Saturday morning and reconfigure your entry for submission

• Continue to come to your instructors to ask for clarifications, especially early on

How does one write a manifesto?

1. The first step is to make some lists that help to define what exactly your personal intentions, motives, and views are. Start by listing out...

   • Core Values - those ethics that form your moral compass - What are your core values?  How do they manifest?

   • Passions - those topics or goals that hold your interest most intensely - What established and emerging passions are you noticing in yourself?

   • Heartbreakers - those real issues and challenges that just break your heart - What in the world just breaks your heart?  What are you particularly sensitive to?

2. The next step is to write “I will...” statements stemming from the lists you just created.  These are your "call to action" statements.  Given the what you have written what actions do you want to take?

3. The final step is to synthesize it all - the values, passions, heartbreakers, and statements - into paragraph form. We will focus on writing this at the end of the semester.  For now you must only think about these topics.