The Technique
Early in my teaching career, I had long discussions with students who felt frustrated with the expressive limitations of formal academic writing. Though they recognized the importance of developing formal writing skills, they lamented the fact that there was no room in their assignments to engage with the course material in personal ways and to express how they felt about what they were studying and/or how it intersected with their lived experiences or with material they were covering in other classes.
The challenge, of course, was how to provide a meaningful space for personal reflection while also fulfilling my obligations as a teacher of formal, critical-analytical writing skills.
Working in consultation with my students, I began by inviting them to write a reflective conclusion to their papers rather than a formal conclusion. This was soon expanded by the students themselves to include things like reflective footnotes, creative responses, and running commentaries. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and I have since integrated a reflective component into all the writing assignments for each of my courses, regardless of the year level or the length of the assignment.
Though I expect formal academic writing for the rest of the assignment, the reflective component of the paper has no expressive boundaries. Colloquial language and slang are allowed, and some students have chosen to express themselves in artistic ways, such as through drawings, poetry, music, and film. The sky really is the limit, I tell them. What is it that you want to say about what we are studying? For example, does it resonate with you? Does it open up new perspectives on the past – or the present? Does it challenge what you know – or thought you knew? Does it puzzle you? Inspire you? Infuriate you? Is it relevant in some way to your lived experiences or to other courses you are taking or other things you have learned in the past?
A word of caution about implementation: This pedagogical technique requires a teacher to think outside the box and to move beyond conventional assignments that privilege formal academic writing at the exclusion of all other forms of expression. There is also an element of risk involved as we have less control over what students might express in their reflective sections.
A suggested aid: Provide clear instructions up front to students and include examples of previous reflections (with student permission) that help students appreciate the “‘openness” of this activity.
How I Use It
Early in the course, I outline the requirements for the assignments and discuss the freedom they will have in the reflective component of their written work. I ensure students that I really do want to know what they are thinking and how they feel about the material we are covering. I remind students that we still need to “do the work” required of academic writing but, in the reflective component, they are free to adopt a style that is most authentic to t