how to write a reflective essay on teamwork

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• A Guide on How to Write a Teamwork Reflection with Examples

“The strength of the team is each individual member and the strength of each member is the team.” Phil Jackson

Reflective practices have always been a great way to look back on your experience and improve your actions for the future. For those who are not aware of the term reflection, it refers to an examination of one’s actions, experiences, and perspectives in order to find critical areas for improvement. Simply put, it is more like learning from the past in order to enhance future scenarios.

Table of Contents

Step 1 - describe the main focus of the reflection, step 2 - elaborate on the objective of the project, step 3 - elucidate the responsibilities of the team, step 4 - highlight the status of the objective, step 5 - underline the challenges, step 6 - emphasize learnings, step 7 - accentuate changes in future endeavors.

• Teamwork reflection examples

Reflecting on our actions or decisions is our path to enlightenment and it does add immensely to our vision and future goals. From students to employees, everyone needs to work in teams quite often in their pursuit of meeting their goals. Having said that, it is essential for you to know how to write a teamwork reflection.

This is your complete guide on writing a teamwork reflection that is inclusive of a stepwise approach to writing a reflection of your participation in a team project. Besides, the guide includes three effective examples for greater understanding. So, to begin with, let us get started with the process of writing a teamwork reflection. To assist you with a better comprehension of the writing of a teamwork reflection, every step covers the same example elaborating on the teamwork reflection of performing surgery in the operations room.

How to write a teamwork reflection in 7 easy steps

The first and foremost step in writing a teamwork reflection is to describe the main focus of the reflection i.e. describing the experience you want to reflect upon. Along with this, you will also describe whether your reflection talks about teamwork or it is a self-reflection. To simplify, this section in-depth will talk about the whole central idea of reflection on the event including all the main aspects that contributed to the occurrence of the event. While describing the main focus of the reflection, you need to keep 5Ws and 1H in mind where 5Ws and 1H stand for

When - In this, you will describe the time of the occurrence of the event.

Where - This will focus on the location where the event took place.

What - Through this, you will describe what exactly happened during the event.

Why - While answering why, you will focus on highlighting the reasons things happened in the way they did.

Who - Who part will answer the question by describing which all people were involved in the event.

How - Lastly, you will include how everyone including you contributed to the occurrence of the event

Effectively answering the 5Ws and 1H will give you a detailed description of the whole incident you want to express in terms of an engaging reflection write-up. However, you have to ensure that the main focus of the reflection should be concise and meticulous enough that it should clearly highlight the central idea to the readers.

Introduction

This teamwork reflection is regarding a leg surgery we performed at The Alfred last month. We needed to perform surgery on a patient who got an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on his leg in a car accident. We were a team of 5 including nurses and doctors. The surgery was successful because everyone performed their tasks responsibly.

After describing the main focus of the reflection, you are ready to move on to the next step i.e. elaborating on the objective of the whole project. Simply put, you have to describe the key objectives of the project that you wish to achieve through your teamwork.

The main objective of the surgery was to rebuild the ligament with a tissue graft in order to ensure that the patient can smoothly perform his regular day to day basis tasks on his own.

Succeeding that, you will elaborate on the responsibilities of the team in detail. To elaborate, you will effectively define which team member of your group was assigned which task. Here, you can also elaborate on the various leadership theories that were applied at the team level. Following that, you will also provide detailed information on whether your team members were successful in completing their responsibilities on an individual level and the team level.

We were a total of five members were responsible for performing the surgery

1. Surgeon - He was responsible for taking out the graft from other tendons in the knee or thigh areas.

2. Anesthesiologist - I was responsible for deciding the level of anesthesia that needs to be given to the patient from time to time.

3. Nurse anesthetist - She was the assistant to the anesthesiologist and was supposed to take care of the temperature of the patient and other functional changes occurring in the body.

4. Circulating nurse - He was responsible for helping the surgeon throughout the process of surgery.

5. Surgical tech - Surgical tech was responsible for ensuring that all the tools are available in the surgery room and will hand them out as per the surgeon’s instructions.

In this section, after describing the roles and responsibilities, you will further elaborate on the status of the objective. In this section, you will highlight the correlation between the efforts of your team members and how their efforts contributed to the successful completion of your overall objective. Along with this, you will also highlight the reason why the objective was achieved or why it was not achieved.

The operation was successful and we were successfully able to remove the graft from a cadaver and deposit it in the injured area. The reason that the operation was successful was that everybody knew their responsibility beforehand and the whole surgery was performed with cordiality.

Coming to the next step, next you will emphasize the challenges that you faced during the completion of the team task. In this, challenges will be described in both the senses mentioned below.

The challenges you faced at the individual level

The challenges you encountered at the team level.

For instance, if ethical issues proved to be a hindrance to the accomplishment of the objectives, you ought to highlight them. Underlining the challenges will assist you in further indicating the key pitfalls that would have contributed to delay or inefficient results. After this, you can significantly conduct a gap analysis that will highlight the major reason why pitfalls occurred. Results of the gap analysis will also assist you in making future strategies to avoid these challenges.

During the surgery, we were a group of diverse teams in which the members were of different social groups. Hence, during the operation, we faced the challenge of understanding each other’s non-verbal language signs. On a personal level, as I was an intern in nursing, I faced the challenge of coping with the senior members’ speed. They were moving really fast with every step during the surgery, so, I got a little anxious through the whole surgery.

After underlining the challenges, comes another crucial step in reflection writing. In this step, you will significantly elaborate on the learnings of the whole experience. Again, one of the crucial notable points over here is that you need to accentuate both the learnings at a personal level and at the group level. Highlighting your learnings will assist you in creating a roadmap on how you can improve for the future.

Through this surgery, we all learned irrespective of our different backgrounds, that if you have cordiality and collaboration in the team, you can carry out any major operation successfully. Personally, I learned that with time and experience, people gradually build their speed in performing different tasks. Additionally, I also got to learn how to work professionally with a team of highly skilled surgeons.

With this, we have come to our last but definitely not the least step of the writing teamwork reflection is focusing on the changes that you will make for the future. To elaborate, lastly, you will focus on how you need to change your strategies in order to come up with more efficient results. On the other side of it, you are done with your well-written reflection on teamwork.

During future operations, we will ensure to cross-check whether everyone has been very well prepared for the operation and all the apparatus are available for the operations. On the other hand, in the future, I will ensure that I come with a free mind in the operation room. Besides, if anything goes wrong, I would take deep breaths to calm myself down and continue the progress to complete the assigned task.

At last, another important consideration in writing a reflection using the above-given steps is subject to change until you are not using any particular reflection out of several prominent reflection models .

To continue, to give you a better comprehension of how to write a reflection about teamwork, we have two completely different samples of teamwork reflection. Firstly, an example of teamwork reflection will be about teamwork and collaboration in nursing. Following that, an example of teamwork reflection as a nursing student is highlighted. Lastly, an effective example of teamwork reflection in the workplace will be provided.

Group teamwork reflection examples

Example 1 - sample of group teamwork reflection as a nursing practitioner.

Assessment task - Teamwork reflection by nursing practitioners

For - Nursing practitioners

Task - Team reflection on the duties performed in the context of nursing practices for old age care

Working center - Berengarra Residential Aged Care Facility

Step 1 - Describe the main focus of reflection

Gone are the days when a single doctor or dentist or other health organization practitioners could solely deliver high-quality care that could easily satisfy their patients. Today, it requires a good tea to offer satisfactory service to the patients. The complexity of the care that patients need today highlights the need for health professionals to collaborate and communicate clearly with each other (Eddy, Jordan & Stephenson, 2016). We learned this through our recent experience which will be described in this reflection.

This teamwork reflection will confer our experience of taking care of old age people about a week ago. We were 4 team members that were supposed to visit Berengarra Residential Aged Care Facility and take care of old aged people. The reason that we were assigned this job was that the previously assigned team failed in performing their duty due to a lack of responsibility. Although we also faced some challenges, eventually we took care of everything and successfully performed our duty because of our collaboration and teamwork.

Step 2 - Elaborate on the objectives of the project

The main objective of this project was to effectively take care of the elderly people that need the utmost care and support because of a lack of energy to even perform basic daily tasks. Moreover, most of the people in old age care centers are suffering from worry or distress due to leaving their homes because of ample reasons such as abandonment from their homes. People living in the old age care center often experience depression and in old age. This is either the result of living alone or due to a lack of connection breakage with their culture of origin. This results in an incapacity to actively participate in the activities of the community (Singh & Misra, 2009). Hence, another objective of this project was to connect with the old age people and give them the support and care they deserve at this age.

We were a team of 5 people and we all divided our responsibilities as per the handling of different essential activities every day. To maintain confidentiality, I will address each member as members 1, 2, 3, and 4. Team member one was responsible for the food committee and was supposed to look after all the meals in terms of their quality and the timely serving of the meals. In different old age centers, old people often lack the energy to perform daily personal tasks such as changing and bathing.

So, team member 2 was responsible for taking care of the bathing and dressing assistance of elderly people. Team member 3 was me and I was accountable for medication assistance for the elderly people and for ensuring that every patient gets their medications on time. Lastly, team member 5 was responsible for coordinating with the housekeeping team and ensuring proper sanitation at the whole place, and keeping the place disinfected.

Step 4 - Final status of the objective

After a month, we were relieved from the duty, and in our final evaluation our supervisors evaluated the place and took the feedback and we got good feedback and ratings. This implies that we were successful in achieving our ultimate goal and providing efficient service to the old age center. Secondly, we got blessings from the elderly and this indicated that we were successful in achieving the second objective of providing a satisfactory service to the old age people.

Step 5 - Highlight the main challenges

Through the whole tenure we worked at that old age center, we encountered a few challenges. Firstly, as it was a completely new place to us, So, it was challenging for all of us to adjust to the new environment. So, it took us some time to adjust to their daily routines and learn their daily routines. Besides, the last team that was in charge was accused of a lack of responsibility, so it was pressure on us to avoid that tag for us.

On a personal level, as I was in charge of medication for the patient, there were 20 patients under my supervision. Hence, it was quite challenging for me to keep a record of all the patients and the time and name of the medicines that were supposed to get delivered to the target audience. So, I took assistance from team member 1 who was in charge of the food committee. He had this tool on his iPad where he stored all the data and kept a track of all the medication easily and suggested the same to me. He assisted me effectively and we divided up the number of patients to effectively maintain the record.

Through this whole experience we learned how crucial coordination and collaboration are in the healthcare sector. If we would have not divided our work or assisted each other, it would not have been possible for us to successfully take care of the old age people. It was our collaboration and trust in each other as a team that made us successful in achieving the target and getting good feedback from our superiors.

On a personal level, I learned that there will always be difficulty in handling different situations and it is always good to ask for help if needed rather than handling it all on your own and messing it up by doing it alone. Besides, I also learned that technology can be a great helping hand if used effectively.

On a team level, for the future we would ensure that we calm ourselves down and try our best to adapt and blend the environment as soon as possible to effectively work on giving the best services. Besides, we would also have frequent team meetings every day to ensure that if any team member needs any sort of help or assistance with their tasks.

On the other hand, if similar situations occur again, on a personal level, I would definitely ensure that I would learn more about different applications that can offer assistance to me in managing different records.

Example 2 - Sample of group teamwork reflection as a nursing student

Assessment task - Teamwork reflection by nursing students

For - Nursing students

Task - Team reflection on the PowerPoint presentation by nursing students

Working center - University of Texas Arlington

I have always believed that teamwork always brings out the dreamwork. But, in order for a team to give efficient results, every team member needs to collaborate and engage in teamwork (Schmutz, Meier & Manser, 2019). I learned this through the effective experience I had in my second year of doing a Master's in Nursing with a Specialty in Nursing Administration and Management at the University of Texas Arlington. I was in a group of 5 people and we were assigned the task of creating a PowerPoint presentation.

We all agreed on the topic, “How health practitioners can support families of children with autism spectrum disorders”. All the team members together decided and made me the team leader and on their suggestion only I distributed the tasks among the teams.

There were two major objectives of this project. Firstly, we wanted to find out the different ways through which we can support families of children dealing with autism spectrum disorders. The major reason for this objective was that as nurses there often comes a time when we would have to support the families of children dealing with different disorders. While preparing for this presentation, we would understand various methods through which we can offer support to the families of children dealing with ASD.

The second crucial objective of this task was our teachers wanted us to know how to work in teams effectively. The major reason behind the same is that nursing teams are often instructed to handle a bunch of patients or wards in different sections. Learning how to work in a team would give us clarity on how we can work together effectively to get the desired results.

We were in a group of 5 members and to maintain the confidentiality of the names, I would refer to each member as Student A, Student B, Student C, Student D, and me. While keeping in mind the capabilities and key skills of all my team members, I decided to give them the task that suited their capabilities. Student A - Student A was very good with research and had in-depth knowledge about how to find relevant and high authority-certified research papers. Besides, the topic of the presentation majorly required in-depth research about finding different ways to support families of children with ASD. Hence, student A was responsible for finding all the relevant research papers, theses, and dissertations related to the topic of the presentation.

Student B voluntarily decided to take the responsibility of digging out the relevant information because she liked reading. Once all the relevant literature had been selected, then Student B was responsible for shunting out all the relevant information that needed to be added to the PowerPoint presentation. For student C, we decided to give the responsibility of arranging the data in a presentable form. The major reason behind the same was that it was pre-decided that C might not be able to get the task done because of his interview round. So, as part of the contingency plan we decided to give student C the minimum work because even if the work doesn't get done, nobody has to bear an extra burden. Student D had a specialized certification in PowerPoint presentation so we decided to give him the duty of creating the final presentation. Me, as everybody decided, I would be the team lead so I was responsible to give the final presentation in front of the whole class.

Step 4 - Describe the final status of the objectives

Everybody in my team did proper work as per their assigned responsibilities. Although as a part of the contingency plan we decided to give student C minimal responsibilities possible he also finished his work on time before going to the interview. I believe this objective was successfully attained because we had everything planned in advance along with pre-decided responsibilities for everyone. As everyone knew what they had to do even when we faced challenges during the language barriers or lack of coordination, everybody did their part very well. However, when it was my turn to present the presentation in front of the whole class, I got a little nervous and even fumbled in some places during delivering my presentation. But in the end, we were successful in achieving the main objective of working together irrespective of some challenges we faced. Moreover, we also learn so much about how to support families of children with autism syndrome disorder.

We had to encounter various types of challenges that we had to face during this presentation. Even I personally had to experience some of the challenges. At the team level - as we were still studying under a remote structure, for the team level we faced communication challenges because there were many people who did not have high-quality internet connections in their homes. Besides, two of the team members belong to other nationalities so we also faced language barriers as a major challenge during communication with them. Language barriers in a multinational team often lead to reduced participation in team communication (Tenzer, Pudelko & Zellmer-Bruhn, 2021).

On a personal level, I am an introvert by nature and somehow also lacked confidence in public speaking. As I was the one who had to present it in front of the entire class, I was a little nervous and also thought that I would not be able to present it meticulously.

Through the whole experience, on a personal level, I learned how crucial communication skills are in my nursing profession. The reason is irrespective of this presentation in the future as well I would have to interact with the families of the patient or with the patient. Hence, I have to socialize and would have to work on my communication skills as well. Good communication skill does not only rely on the physical abilities of nurses, but also on education and experience (Kourkouta & Papathanasiou, 2014).

On the team level, I gotta know that cordiality and planning are really crucial in any team for the successful accomplishment of the desired goal. Irrespective of the fact that we had a language barrier or connectivity issue, as everything was well-planned everybody did their part very well.

In the future, I personally feel that I would like to make two changes to the action plan that we followed in this experience. On an individual level, I would definitely take some of the communication skill courses from different learning apps and would even practice public speaking to socialize comparatively better to this experience. On the team level, if the situation occurs in the remote working structure again, then I would prefer to use various project management software or different applications that could help us with coordination and planning more effectively.

Example 3 - Sample of group teamwork reflection in the workplace

Assessment task - Teamwork reflection by employees in a workplace

For - Employees

Task - Team reflection on the achieving a target in a workplace

Workplace - AB Enterprises

The success of any workplace majorly depends on teamwork and collaboration between its employees. A group accomplishes the highest amount of accomplishments when it is completely focused on a task and completely utilizes every participant’s ability. The most important factor that impacts the success of team collaboration is trust. Without trust, the team significantly runs the risk of deteriorating over time (Bennett & Gadlin, 2012). I learned this from a recent experience I had in my company when we were assigned a task that we have to perform in a group.

Last month, the superiors of our AB enterprise company assigned us the target of making our website rank in the top 10 search engine results for some particular keywords in the span of 3 months. We were a total of 5 people in the marketing team that was assigned this task 4 months back. After effectively planning everything and using different strategies and tactics, we successfully achieved our target.

The main objective of this project was to convert our website into a revenue-generating website. The first step for achieving the same was it was essential that our website should rank on the first pages of the search engines. Secondly, we were a newly formed team, our employer wanted us to understand the true meaning of the team, collaboration, and trust. Hence, he assigned us this task to let us understand the true meaning of the team.

We were a team of 5 members and out of which I was the SEO content writer with another junior content writer. Along with this, we had 2 members of the technical SEO team and 1 member was from the development team. Both of the content writers including me were responsible for creating engaging content for the website. Technical SEO members were responsible for optimizing the content and pitching for gaining backlinks in order to make the website rank higher. Besides, the responsibility of the developer was to upload the content, set the structure, and ensure that there remains no errors in the development phase so that the target can be achieved.

After working hard for 3 months and working overtime as well, we finally achieved the target and made our website rank for 10 keywords that were related to our niche. Moreover, when we worked together for three months as a team, we bonded and collaborated effectively to get the desired results. We trusted and assisted each other in understanding things and getting the work going so that we can achieve the target by the assigned deadline.

Throughout the whole process, we faced many challenges down the line. On a team level, the senior technical SEO got a stomach infection and was on leave for almost 15 days. In her absence, the other member faced many issues in handling the work alone. But here he asked for my assistance and for this, I had to learn about technical SEO first, and then I assisted him with all his doubts.

On a personal level, as I was leading this project, I also had other responsibilities along with writing the content. So, I faced challenges in managing my work of content writing and other responsibilities. Hence to ensure a proper balance and clear my pendencies, I did work some of the work after office hours as well.

Through this whole project, we all learned that if we collaborate effectively and work together, we can easily achieve any target. Moreover, we realized that trust is really important for the successful accomplishment of the project. Trusting teams can effectively assist in enhancing cooperation and collaboration in processes. Furthermore, this will assist them in managing their interdependencies among their respective areas of expertise (Bond-Barnard, Fletcher & Steyn, 2018). We had three subteams in a bigger circle of the marketing team. None of the subteams interfered with each other’s tasks and everyone took accountability for performing their assigned tasks with utmost efficiency.

On a personal level, I learned that although we together achieved the desired results, taking over responsibilities disrupted my work-life balance and I felt stressed from time to time due to this. Hence, I learned that I need to manage my time during working hours more effectively so that I would not have to do work from home.

On a group level, in the planning phase only, we will break our bigger target into smaller ones. So that, we would effectively be able to keep track of our overall levels of accomplishments. Moreover, in the future, if similar situations occur, we would create contingency plans as well. For example, in this situation, our team member got sick, and the burden of the same was on the other members. So, we would learn little of everything from the next time onward. So that, if anything goes wrong, we would have each other’s support to handle the crisis.

On a personal level, as I have too many responsibilities to handle, I would try to delegate some of my tasks to my juniors. So that, I would be able to focus more on the tasks that need my most attention. The next time, I would also take help from various productivity and time management tools to keep a track of all time I am spending on all the necessary and unnecessary tasks.

To conclude, teamwork is an important part of the work irrespective of the industry you work in. Hence, it is really essential to look back and reflect on the incidents to learn something every time that can assist in enhancing your efficiency. Moreover, the above-given information will effectively assist you in writing a good teamwork reflection as well.

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How important is self-assessment in a teamwork reflection?

Self-assessment is a crucial aspect of a teamwork reflection. It allows you to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses as a team member, leading to personal growth and development in future collaborative endeavors.

Should I include any references or citations in my teamwork reflection?

In most cases, teamwork reflections do not require formal references or citations unless you are referring to specific external sources. The reflection is a personal account of your experiences and insights rather than an academic or research paper.

Schmutz, J., Meier, L., & Manser, T. (2019). How effective is teamwork really? The relationship between teamwork and performance in healthcare teams: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 9(9), e028280. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028280

Tenzer, H., Pudelko, M., & Zellmer-Bruhn, M. (2021). The impact of language barriers on knowledge processing in multinational teams. Journal Of World Business, 56(2), 101184. doi: 10.1016/j.jwb.2020.101184

Kourkouta, L., & Papathanasiou, I. (2014). Communication in Nursing Practice. Materia Socio Medica, 26(1), 65. doi: 10.5455/msm.2014.26.65-67

Singh, A., & Misra, N. (2009). Loneliness, depression and sociability in old age. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 18(1), 51. doi: 10.4103/0972-6748.57861

Bond-Barnard, T., Fletcher, L., & Steyn, H. (2018). Linking trust and collaboration in project teams to project management success. International Journal Of Managing Projects In Business, 11(2), 432-457. doi: 10.1108/ijmpb-06-2017-0068

Bennett, L., & Gadlin, H. (2012). Collaboration and Team Science. Journal Of Investigative Medicine, 60(5), 768-775. doi: 10.2310/jim.0b013e318250871d

Eddy, K., Jordan, Z., & Stephenson, M. (2016). Health professionals’ experience of teamwork education in acute hospital settings. JBI Database Of Systematic Reviews And Implementation Reports, 14(4), 96-137. doi: 10.11124/jbisrir-2016-1843

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How to write a Reflection on Group Work Essay

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

Here are the exact steps you need to follow for a reflection on group work essay.

• Explain what Reflection Is
• Explore the benefits of group work
• Explore the challenges group
• Give examples of the benefits and challenges your group faced
• Discuss how your group handled your challenges
• Discuss what you will do differently next time

Do you have to reflect on how your group work project went?

This is a super common essay that teachers assign. So, let’s have a look at how you can go about writing a superb reflection on your group work project that should get great grades.

The essay structure I outline below takes the funnel approach to essay writing: it starts broad and general, then zooms in on your specific group’s situation.

Disclaimer: Make sure you check with your teacher to see if this is a good style to use for your essay. Take a draft to your teacher to get their feedback on whether it’s what they’re looking for!

This is a 6-step essay (the 7 th step is editing!). Here’s a general rule for how much depth to go into depending on your word count:

• 1500 word essay – one paragraph for each step, plus a paragraph each for the introduction and conclusion ;
• 3000 word essay – two paragraphs for each step, plus a paragraph each for the introduction and conclusion;
• 300 – 500 word essay – one or two sentences for each step.

Adjust this essay plan depending on your teacher’s requirements and remember to always ask your teacher, a classmate or a professional tutor to review the piece before submitting.

Here’s the steps I’ll outline for you in this advice article:

Step 1. Explain what ‘Reflection’ Is

You might have heard that you need to define your terms in essays. Well, the most important term in this essay is ‘reflection’.

So, let’s have a look at what reflection is…

Reflection is the process of:

• Pausing and looking back at what has just happened; then
• Thinking about how you can get better next time.

Reflection is encouraged in most professions because it’s believed that reflection helps you to become better at your job – we could say ‘reflection makes you a better practitioner’.

Think about it: let’s say you did a speech in front of a crowd. Then, you looked at video footage of that speech and realised you said ‘um’ and ‘ah’ too many times. Next time, you’re going to focus on not saying ‘um’ so that you’ll do a better job next time, right?

Well, that’s reflection: thinking about what happened and how you can do better next time.

It’s really important that you do both of the above two points in your essay. You can’t just say what happened. You need to say how you will do better next time in order to get a top grade on this group work reflection essay.

Scholarly Sources to Cite for Step 1

Okay, so you have a good general idea of what reflection is. Now, what scholarly sources should you use when explaining reflection? Below, I’m going to give you two basic sources that would usually be enough for an undergraduate essay. I’ll also suggest two more sources for further reading if you really want to shine!

I recommend these two sources to cite when explaining what reflective practice is and how it occurs. They are two of the central sources on reflective practice:

• Describe what happened during the group work process
• Explain how you felt during the group work process
• Look at the good and bad aspects of the group work process
• What were some of the things that got in the way of success? What were some things that helped you succeed?
• What could you have done differently to improve the situation?
• Action plan. What are you going to do next time to make the group work process better?
• What? Explain what happened
• So What? Explain what you learned
• Now What? What can I do next time to make the group work process better?

Possible Sources:

Bassot, B. (2015).  The reflective practice guide: An interdisciplinary approach to critical reflection . Routledge.

Brock, A. (2014). What is reflection and reflective practice?. In  The Early Years Reflective Practice Handbook  (pp. 25-39). Routledge.

Gibbs, G. (1988)  Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods . Further Education Unit, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford.

Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., Jasper, M. (2001). Critical reflection in nursing and the helping professions: a user’s guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Extension Sources for Top Students

Now, if you want to go deeper and really show off your knowledge, have a look at these two scholars:

• John Dewey – the first major scholar to come up with the idea of reflective practice
• Donald Schön – technical rationality, reflection in action vs. reflection on action

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Step 2. Explore the general benefits of group work for learning

Once you have given an explanation of what group work is (and hopefully cited Gibbs, Rolfe, Dewey or Schon), I recommend digging into the benefits of group work for your own learning.

The teacher gave you a group work task for a reason: what is that reason?

You’ll need to explain the reasons group work is beneficial for you. This will show your teacher that you understand what group work is supposed to achieve. Here’s some ideas:

• Multiple Perspectives. Group work helps you to see things from other people’s perspectives. If you did the task on your own, you might not have thought of some of the ideas that your team members contributed to the project.
• Contribution of Unique Skills. Each team member might have a different set of skills they can bring to the table. You can explain how groups can make the most of different team members’ strengths to make the final contribution as good as it can be. For example, one team member might be good at IT and might be able to put together a strong final presentation, while another member might be a pro at researching using google scholar so they got the task of doing the initial scholarly research.
• Improved Communication Skills. Group work projects help you to work on your communication skills. Communication skills required in group work projects include speaking in turn, speaking up when you have ideas, actively listening to other team members’ contributions, and crucially making compromises for the good of the team.
• Learn to Manage Workplace Conflict. Lastly, your teachers often assign you group work tasks so you can learn to manage conflict and disagreement. You’ll come across this a whole lot in the workplace, so your teachers want you to have some experience being professional while handling disagreements.

You might be able to add more ideas to this list, or you might just want to select one or two from that list to write about depending on the length requirements for the essay.

Scholarly Sources for Step 3

Make sure you provide citations for these points above. You might want to use google scholar or google books and type in ‘Benefits of group work’ to find some quality scholarly sources to cite.

Step 3. Explore the general challenges group work can cause

Step 3 is the mirror image of Step 2. For this step, explore the challenges posed by group work.

Students are usually pretty good at this step because you can usually think of some aspects of group work that made you anxious or frustrated. Here are a few common challenges that group work causes:

• Time Consuming. You need to organize meetups and often can’t move onto the next component of the project until everyone has agree to move on. When working on your own you can just crack on and get it done. So, team work often takes a lot of time and requires significant pre-planning so you don’t miss your submission deadlines!
• Learning Style Conflicts. Different people learn in different ways. Some of us like to get everything done at the last minute or are not very meticulous in our writing. Others of us are very organized and detailed and get anxious when things don’t go exactly how we expect. This leads to conflict and frustration in a group work setting.
• Free Loaders. Usually in a group work project there’s people who do more work than others. The issue of free loaders is always going to be a challenge in group work, and you can discuss in this section how ensuring individual accountability to the group is a common group work issue.
• Communication Breakdown. This is one especially for online students. It’s often the case that you email team members your ideas or to ask them to reply by a deadline and you don’t hear back from them. Regular communication is an important part of group work, yet sometimes your team members will let you down on this part.

As with Step 3, consider adding more points to this list if you need to, or selecting one or two if your essay is only a short one.

8 Pros And Cons Of Group Work At University

You’ll probably find you can cite the same scholarly sources for both steps 2 and 3 because if a source discusses the benefits of group work it’ll probably also discuss the challenges.

Step 4. Explore the specific benefits and challenges your group faced

Step 4 is where you zoom in on your group’s specific challenges. Have a think: what were the issues you really struggled with as a group?

• Was one team member absent for a few of the group meetings?
• Did the group have to change some deadlines due to lack of time?
• Were there any specific disagreements you had to work through?
• Did a group member drop out of the group part way through?
• Were there any communication break downs?

Feel free to also mention some things your group did really well. Have a think about these examples:

• Was one member of the group really good at organizing you all?
• Did you make some good professional relationships?
• Did a group member help you to see something from an entirely new perspective?
• Did working in a group help you to feel like you weren’t lost and alone in the process of completing the group work component of your course?

Here, because you’re talking about your own perspectives, it’s usually okay to use first person language (but check with your teacher). You are also talking about your own point of view so citations might not be quite as necessary, but it’s still a good idea to add in one or two citations – perhaps to the sources you cited in Steps 2 and 3?

Step 5. Discuss how your group managed your challenges

Step 5 is where you can explore how you worked to overcome some of the challenges you mentioned in Step 4.

So, have a think:

• Did your group make any changes part way through the project to address some challenges you faced?
• Did you set roles or delegate tasks to help ensure the group work process went smoothly?
• Did you contact your teacher at any point for advice on how to progress in the group work scenario?
• Did you use technology such as Google Docs or Facebook Messenger to help you to collaborate more effectively as a team?

In this step, you should be showing how your team was proactive in reflecting on your group work progress and making changes throughout the process to ensure it ran as smoothly as possible. This act of making little changes throughout the group work process is what’s called ‘Reflection in Action’ (Schön, 2017).

Scholarly Source for Step 5

Schön, D. A. (2017).  The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action . Routledge.

Step 6. Conclude by exploring what you will do differently next time

Step 6 is the most important step, and the one far too many students skip. For Step 6, you need to show how you not only reflected on what happened but also are able to use that reflection for personal growth into the future.

This is the heart and soul of your piece: here, you’re tying everything together and showing why reflection is so important!

This is the ‘action plan’ step in Gibbs’ cycle (you might want to cite Gibbs in this section!).

For Step 6, make some suggestions about how (based on your reflection) you now have some takeaway tips that you’ll bring forward to improve your group work skills next time. Here’s some ideas:

• Will you work harder next time to set deadlines in advance?
• Will you ensure you set clearer group roles next time to ensure the process runs more smoothly?
• Will you use a different type of technology (such as Google Docs) to ensure group communication goes more smoothly?
• Will you make sure you ask for help from your teacher earlier on in the process when you face challenges?
• Will you try harder to see things from everyone’s perspectives so there’s less conflict?

This step will be personalized based upon your own group work challenges and how you felt about the group work process. Even if you think your group worked really well together, I recommend you still come up with one or two ideas for continual improvement. Your teacher will want to see that you used reflection to strive for continual self-improvement.

Scholarly Source for Step 6

Step 7. edit.

Okay, you’ve got the nuts and bolts of the assessment put together now! Next, all you’ve got to do is write up the introduction and conclusion then edit the piece to make sure you keep growing your grades.

Here’s a few important suggestions for this last point:

• You should always write your introduction and conclusion last. They will be easier to write now that you’ve completed the main ‘body’ of the essay;
• Use my 5-step I.N.T.R.O method to write your introduction;
• Use my 5 C’s Conclusion method to write your conclusion;
• Use my 5 tips for editing an essay to edit it;
• Use the ProWritingAid app to get advice on how to improve your grammar and spelling. Make sure to also use the report on sentence length. It finds sentences that are too long and gives you advice on how to shorten them – such a good strategy for improving evaluative essay  quality!
• Make sure you contact your teacher and ask for a one-to-one tutorial to go through the piece before submitting. This article only gives general advice, and you might need to make changes based upon the specific essay requirements that your teacher has provided.

That’s it! 7 steps to writing a quality group work reflection essay. I hope you found it useful. If you liked this post and want more clear and specific advice on writing great essays, I recommend signing up to my personal tutor mailing list.

Let’s sum up with those 7 steps one last time:

• Explain what ‘Reflection’ Is
• Explore the benefits of group work for learning
• Explore the challenges of group work for learning
• Explore the specific benefits and challenges your group faced
• Discuss how your group managed your challenges
• Conclude by exploring what you will do differently next time

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 20 Montessori Toddler Bedrooms (Design Inspiration)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 21 Montessori Homeschool Setups
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples

2 thoughts on “How to write a Reflection on Group Work Essay”

Great instructions on writing a reflection essay. I would not change anything.

Thanks so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it. – Chris.

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Reflective Essay About Teamwork | A key To success

This reflective essay explores the concept of teamwork and highlights the importance of effective teamwork in achieving organizational goals. The essay discusses personal experiences of working in a team, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned.

Table of Contents

Teamwork | A Reflective Essay

Introduction:

Teamwork is an essential component of achieving success in any organization. It is a collaborative effort where individuals work together towards a common goal. Effective teamwork is important as it enhances productivity, promotes creativity, and fosters a positive work environment. This reflective essay explores the concept of teamwork, personal experiences, and the lessons learned.

Body Paragraphs

1. Personal Experiences: I have had several experiences working in teams, both in academic and professional settings. In my academic life, I have worked on group projects that required extensive research, analysis, and presentation skills. In my professional life, I have worked in teams to complete various projects that required collaboration, communication, and coordination.

2. Challenges Faced: While working in teams, I have encountered several challenges that hindered the progress of the project. Some of the challenges I faced were lack of communication, conflicting opinions, and unequal distribution of work. These challenges can cause delays, misunderstandings, and frustration, ultimately leading to project failure.

3. Lessons Learned: Working in teams has taught me the importance of effective communication, coordination, and collaboration. I learned that clear communication helps in avoiding misunderstandings, and open discussions help in resolving conflicts. Moreover, I learned that teamwork requires equal distribution of work to ensure fairness and avoid overburdening certain individuals. Furthermore, I realized that being a good team player requires one to be flexible, adaptable, and willing to learn.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, effective teamwork is essential in achieving organizational goals. Personal experiences of working in teams have taught me the importance of effective communication, coordination, and collaboration. Challenges faced in teamwork require individuals to be flexible, adaptable, and willing to learn. To ensure effective teamwork, individuals must recognize their strengths and weaknesses and contribute towards the team’s success.

Essay on Teamwork: The Key to Success

Teamwork is the foundation upon which the success of any organization is built. Whether it is a school project or a multinational corporation, teamwork plays a pivotal role in achieving goals efficiently and effectively. In this essay, we will explore the importance of teamwork and the various aspects that make it successful.

1. The Benefits of Teamwork

One of the primary benefits of teamwork is that it allows individuals to share ideas and knowledge. When individuals work together, they can pool their skills, experience, and knowledge to achieve a common goal. Teamwork can also increase efficiency and productivity, as tasks can be divided among team members based on their strengths and abilities.

2. Effective Communication

Effective communication is an essential aspect of successful teamwork. Clear and concise communication is critical to ensure that team members understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as the expectations of the team. Effective communication can also help to prevent misunderstandings, conflicts, and delays.

3. Building Trust and Collaboration

Building trust and collaboration is another critical aspect of successful teamwork. Trust allows team members to rely on one another and work together without fear of failure. Collaboration allows team members to work together and build on each other’s strengths, making the team stronger as a whole.

4. Challenges of Teamwork

Although teamwork can be highly beneficial, it can also present its own set of challenges. One of the most significant challenges is managing conflicts that may arise between team members. Effective conflict management strategies are essential to ensure that conflicts are resolved efficiently and do not hinder the team’s progress.

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, teamwork is an essential element of success in any organization. By pooling resources and working together, teams can achieve their goals more efficiently and effectively. Effective communication, building trust and collaboration, and managing conflicts are some of the critical aspects that make teamwork successful. With the right strategies in place, teams can overcome challenges and achieve their objectives.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

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• Subject Guides

Academic writing: a practical guide

Reflective writing.

• Academic writing
• The writing process
• Academic writing style
• Structure & cohesion
• Criticality in academic writing
• Working with evidence
• Referencing
• Assessment & feedback
• Dissertations
• Examination writing
• Academic posters
• Feedback on Structure and Organisation
• Feedback on Argument, Analysis, and Critical Thinking
• Feedback on Writing Style and Clarity
• Feedback on Referencing and Research
• Feedback on Presentation and Proofreading

Writing reflectively is essential to many academic programmes and also to completing applications for employment. This page considers what reflective writing is and how to do it. 

What is reflection?

Reflection is something that we do everyday as part of being human. We plan and undertake actions, then think about whether each was successful or not, and how we might improve next time. We can also feel reflection as emotions, such as satisfaction and regret, or as a need to talk over happenings with friends. See below for an introduction to reflection as a concept. 

Reflection in everyday life [Google Slides]

What is reflective writing?

Reflective writing should be thought of as recording reflective thinking. This can be done in an everyday diary entry, or instruction in a recipe book to change a cooking method next time. In academic courses, reflective is more complex and focussed. This section considers the main features of reflective writing. 

Reflective writing for employability

When applying for jobs, or further academic study, students are required to think through what they have done in their degrees and translate it into evaluative writing that fulfils the criteria of job descriptions and person specifications. This is a different style of writing, the resource below will enable you to think about how to begin this transition. 

There are also lots of resources available through the university's careers service and elsewhere on the Skills Guides. The links below are to pages that can offer further support and guidance. 

• Careers and Placements Service resources Lots of resources that relate to all aspects of job applications, including tailored writing styles and techniques.

The language of reflective writing

Reflective academic writing is: 

• almost always written in the first person.
• evaluative - you are judging something.
• partly personal, partly based on criteria.
• analytical - you are usually categorising actions and events.
• formal - it is for an academic audience.
• carefully constructed. 

Look at the sections below to see specific vocabulary types and sentence constructions that can be useful when writing reflectively. 

Language for exploring outcomes

A key element of writing reflectively is being able to explain to the reader what the results of your actions were. This requires careful grading of language to ensure that what you write reflects the evidence of what happened and to convey clearly what you achieved or did not achieve. 

Below are some ideas and prompts of how you can write reflectively about outcomes, using clarity and graded language. 

Expressing uncertainty when writing about outcomes:

• It is not yet clear that…
• I do not yet (fully) understand...
• It is unclear...
• It is not yet fully clear...
• It is not yet (fully?) known… 
• It appears to be the case that…
• It is too soon to tell....

Often, in academic learning, the uncertainty in the outcomes is a key part of the learning and development that you undertake. It is vital therefore that you explain this clearly to the reader using careful choices in your language. 

Writing about how the outcome relates to you:

• I gained (xxxx) skills… 
• I developed… 
• The experience/task/process taught me… 
• I achieved…
• I learned that…
• I found that… 

In each case you can add in words like, ‘significantly’, ‘greatly’, ‘less importantly’ etc. The use of evaluative adjectives enables you to express to the reader the importance and significance of your learning in terms of the outcomes achieved. 

Describing how you reached your outcomes:

• Having read....
• Having completed (xxxx)...
• I analysed…
• I applied… 
• I learned…
• I experienced… 
• Having reflected…

This gives the reader an idea of the nature of the reflection they are reading. How and why you reach the conclusions and learning that you express in your reflective writing is important so the reader can assess the validity and strength of your reflections. 

Projecting your outcomes into the future:

• If I completed a similar task in the future I would…
• Having learned through this process I would… 
• Next time I will…
• I will need to develop…. (in light of the outcomes)
• Next time my responses would be different....

When showing the reader how you will use your learning in the future, it is important to be specific and again, to use accurate graded language to show how and why what you choose to highlight matters. Check carefully against task instructions to see what you are expected to reflect into the future about. 

When reflecting in academic writing on outcomes, this can mean either the results of the task you have completed, for example, the accuracy of a titration in a Chemistry lab session, or what you have learned/developed within the task, for example, ensuring that an interview question is written clearly enough to produce a response that reflects what you wished to find out. 

Language choices are important in ensuring the reader can see what you think in relation to the reflection you have done. 

Language for interpretation

When you interpret something you are telling the reader how important it is, or what meaning is attached to it. 

You may wish to indicate the value of something:

• superfluous
• non-essential

E.g. 'the accuracy of the transcription was essential to the accuracy of the eventual coding and analysis of the interviews undertaken. The training I undertook was critical to enabling me to transcribe quickly and accurately' 

You may wish to show how ideas, actions or some other aspect developed over time:

• Initially 
• subsequently
• in sequence 

E.g. 'Before we could produce the final version of the presentation, we had to complete both the research and produce a plan. This was achieved later than expected, leading to subsequent rushing of creating slides, and this contributed to a lower grade'. 

You may wish to show your viewpoint or that of others:

• did not think
• articulated
• did/did not do something

Each of these could be preceded by 'we' or 'I'.

E.g. 'I noticed that the model of the bridge was sagging. I expressed this to the group, and as I did so I noticed that two members did not seem to grasp how serious the problem was. I proposed a break and a meeting, during which I intervened to show the results of inaction.'

There is a huge range of language that can be used for interpretation, the most important thing is to remember your reader and be clear with them about what your interpretation is, so they can see your thinking and agree or disagree with you. 

Language for analysis

When reflecting, it is important to show the reader that you have analysed the tasks, outcomes, learning and all other aspects that you are writing about. In most cases, you are using categories to provide structure to your reflection. Some suggestions of language to use when analysing in reflective writing are below:

Signposting that you are breaking down a task or learning into categories:

• An aspect of…
• An element of…
• An example of…
• A key feature of the task was... (e.g. teamwork)
• The task was multifaceted… (then go on to list or describe the facets)
• There were several experiences…
• ‘X’ is related to ‘y’

There may be specific categories that you should consider in your reflection. In teamwork, it could be individual and team performance, in lab work it could be accuracy and the reliability of results. It is important that the reader can see the categories you have used for your analysis. 

Analysis by chronology:

• Subsequently
• Consequently
• Stage 1 (or other)

In many tasks the order in which they were completed matters. This can be a key part of your reflection, as it is possible that you may learn to do things in a different order next time or that the chronology influenced the outcomes. 

Analysis by perspective:

• I considered

These language choices show that you are analysing purely by your own personal perspective. You may provide evidence to support your thinking, but it is your viewpoint that matters. 

• What I expected from the reading did not happen…
• The Theory did not appear in our results…
• The predictions made were not fulfilled…
• The outcome was surprising because… (and link to what was expected)

These language choices show that you are analysing by making reference to academic learning (from an academic perspective). This means you have read or otherwise learned something and used it to form expectations, ideas and/or predictions. You can then reflect on what you found vs what you expected. The reader needs to know what has informed our reflections. 

• Organisation X should therefore…
• A key recommendation is… 
• I now know that organisation x is… 
• Theory A can be applied to organisation X

These language choices show that analysis is being completed from a systems perspective. You are telling the reader how your learning links into the bigger picture of systems, for example, what an organisation or entity might do in response to what you have learned. 

Analysing is a key element of being reflective. You must think through the task, ideas, or learning you are reflecting on and use categories to provide structure to your thought. This then translates into structure and language choices in your writing, so your reader can see clearly how you have used analysis to provide sense and structure to your reflections. 

Language for evaluation

Reflecting is fundamentally an evaluative activity. Writing about reflection is therefore replete with evaluative language. A skillful reflective writer is able to grade their language to match the thinking it is expressing to the reader. 

Language to show how significant something is:

• Most importantly
• Significantly 
• The principal lesson was… 
• Consequential
• Fundamental
• Insignificant
• In each case the language is quantifying the significance of the element you are describing, telling the reader the product of your evaluative thought. 

For example, ‘when team working I initially thought that we would succeed by setting out a plan and then working independently, but in fact, constant communication and collaboration were crucial to success. This was the most significant thing I learned.’ 

Language to show the strength of relationships:

• X is strongly associated with Y
• A is a consequence of B
• There is a probable relationship between… 
• C does not cause D
• A may influence B
• I learn most strongly when doing A

In each case the language used can show how significant and strong the relationship between two factors are. 

For example, ‘I learned, as part of my research methods module, that the accuracy of the data gained through surveys is directly related to the quality of the questions. Quality can be improved by reading widely and looking at surveys in existing academic papers to inform making your own questions’

Language to evaluate your viewpoint:

• I was convinced...
• I have developed significantly…
• I learned that...
• The most significant thing that I learned was…
• Next time, I would definitely…
• I am unclear about… 
• I was uncertain about… 

These language choices show that you are attaching a level of significance to your reflection. This enables the reader to see what you think about the learning you achieved and the level of significance you attach to each reflection. 

For example, ‘when using systematic sampling of a mixed woodland, I was convinced that method A would be most effective, but in reality, it was clear that method B produced the most accurate results. I learned that assumptions based on reading previous research can lead to inaccurate predictions. This is very important for me as I will be planning a similar sampling activity as part of my fourth year project’ 

Evaluating is the main element of reflecting. You need to evaluate the outcomes of the activities you have done, your part in them, the learning you achieved and the process/methods you used in your learning, among many other things. It is important that you carefully use language to show the evaluative thinking you have completed to the reader.

Varieties of reflective writing in academic studies

There are a huge variety of reflective writing tasks, which differ between programmes and modules. Some are required by the nature of the subject, like in Education, where reflection is a required standard in teaching.

Some are required by the industry area graduates are training for, such as 'Human Resources Management', where the industry accreditation body require evidence of reflective capabilities in graduates.

In some cases, reflection is about the 'learning to learn' element of degree studies, to help you to become a more effective learner. Below, some of the main reflective writing tasks found in University of York degrees are explored. In each case the advice, guidance and materials do not substitute for those provided within your modules. 

Reflective essay writing

Reflective essay tasks vary greatly in what they require of you. The most important thing to do is to read the assessment brief carefully, attend any sessions and read any materials provided as guidance and to allocate time to ensure you can do the task well.

Reflective learning statements

Reflective learning statements are often attached to dissertations and projects, as well as practical activities. They are an opportunity to think about and tell the reader what you have learned, how you will use the learning, what you can do better next time and to link to other areas, such as your intended career. 

Making a judgement about academic performance

Think of this type of writing as producing your own feedback. How did you do? Why? What could you improve next time? These activities may be a part of modules, they could be attached to a bigger piece of work like a dissertation or essay, or could be just a part of your module learning. 

The four main questions to ask yourself when reflecting on your academic performance. 

• Why exactly did you achieve the grade you have been awarded? Look at your feedback, the instructions, the marking scheme and talk to your tutors to find out if you don't know. 
• How did your learning behaviours affect your academic performance? This covers aspects such as attendance, reading for lectures/seminars, asking questions, working with peers... the list goes on. 
• How did your performance compare to others? Can you identify when others did better or worse? Can you talk to your peers to find out if they are doing something you are not or being more/less effective?
• What can you do differently to improve your performance? In each case, how will you ensure you can do it? Do you need training? Do you need a guide book or resources? 

When writing about each of the above, you need to keep in mind the context of how you are being asked to judge your performance and ensure the reader gains the detail they need (and as this is usually a marker, this means they can give you a high grade!). 

Writing a learning diary/blog/record

A learning diary or blog has become a very common method of assessing and supporting learning in many degree programmes. The aim is to help you to think through your day-to-day learning and identify what you have and have not learned, why that is and what you can improve as you go along. You are also encouraged to link your learning to bigger thinking, like future careers or your overall degree. 

Other support for reflective writing

Online resources.

The general writing pages of this site offer guidance that can be applied to all types of writing, including reflective writing. Also check your department's guidance and VLE sites for tailored resources.

Other useful resources for reflective writing:

Appointments and workshops 

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A complete guide to writing a reflective essay

(Last updated: 3 June 2024)

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We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

“The overwhelming burden of writing my first ever reflective essay loomed over me as I sat as still as a statue, as my fingers nervously poised over the intimidating buttons on my laptop keyboard. Where would I begin? Where would I end? Nerve wracking thoughts filled my mind as I fretted over the seemingly impossible journey on which I was about to embark.”

Reflective essays may seem simple on the surface, but they can be a real stumbling block if you're not quite sure how to go about them. In simple terms, reflective essays constitute a critical examination of a life experience and, with the right guidance, they're not too challenging to put together. A reflective essay is similar to other essays in that it needs to be easily understood and well structured, but the content is more akin to something personal like a diary entry.

In this guide, we explore in detail how to write a great reflective essay , including what makes a good structure and some advice on the writing process. We’ve even thrown in an example reflective essay to inspire you too, making this the ultimate guide for anyone needing reflective essay help.

Types of Reflection Papers

There are several types of reflective papers, each serving a unique purpose. Educational reflection papers focus on your learning experiences, such as a course or a lecture, and how they have impacted your understanding. Professional reflection papers often relate to work experiences, discussing what you have learned in a professional setting and how it has shaped your skills and perspectives. Personal reflection papers delve into personal experiences and their influence on your personal growth and development.

Each of these requires a slightly different approach, but all aim to provide insight into your thoughts and experiences, demonstrating your ability to analyse and learn from them. Understanding the specific requirements of each type can help you tailor your writing to effectively convey your reflections.

Reflective Essay Format

In a reflective essay, a writer primarily examines his or her life experiences, hence the term ‘reflective’. The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to provide a platform for the author to not only recount a particular life experience, but to also explore how he or she has changed or learned from those experiences. Reflective writing can be presented in various formats, but you’ll most often see it in a learning log format or diary entry. Diary entries in particular are used to convey how the author’s thoughts have developed and evolved over the course of a particular period.

The format of a reflective essay may change depending on the target audience. Reflective essays can be academic, or may feature more broadly as a part of a general piece of writing for a magazine, for instance. For class assignments, while the presentation format can vary, the purpose generally remains the same: tutors aim to inspire students to think deeply and critically about a particular learning experience or set of experiences. Here are some typical examples of reflective essay formats that you may have to write:

A focus on personal growth:

A type of reflective essay often used by tutors as a strategy for helping students to learn how to analyse their personal life experiences to promote emotional growth and development. The essay gives the student a better understanding of both themselves and their behaviours.

A focus on the literature:

This kind of essay requires students to provide a summary of the literature, after which it is applied to the student’s own life experiences.

Pre-Writing Tips: How to Start Writing the Reflection Essay?

As you go about deciding on the content of your essay, you need to keep in mind that a reflective essay is highly personal and aimed at engaging the reader or target audience. And there’s much more to a reflective essay than just recounting a story. You need to be able to reflect (more on this later) on your experience by showing how it influenced your subsequent behaviours and how your life has been particularly changed as a result.

As a starting point, you might want to think about some important experiences in your life that have really impacted you, either positively, negatively, or both. Some typical reflection essay topics include: a real-life experience, an imagined experience, a special object or place, a person who had an influence on you, or something you have watched or read. If you are writing a reflective essay as part of an academic exercise, chances are your tutor will ask you to focus on a particular episode – such as a time when you had to make an important decision – and reflect on what the outcomes were. Note also, that the aftermath of the experience is especially important in a reflective essay; miss this out and you will simply be storytelling.

What Do You Mean By Reflection Essay?

It sounds obvious, but the reflective process forms the core of writing this type of essay, so it’s important you get it right from the outset. You need to really think about how the personal experience you have chosen to focus on impacted or changed you. Use your memories and feelings of the experience to determine the implications for you on a personal level.

Once you’ve chosen the topic of your essay, it’s really important you study it thoroughly and spend a lot of time trying to think about it vividly. Write down everything you can remember about it, describing it as clearly and fully as you can. Keep your five senses in mind as you do this, and be sure to use adjectives to describe your experience. At this stage, you can simply make notes using short phrases, but you need to ensure that you’re recording your responses, perceptions, and your experience of the event(s).

Once you’ve successfully emptied the contents of your memory, you need to start reflecting. A great way to do this is to pick out some reflection questions which will help you think deeper about the impact and lasting effects of your experience. Here are some useful questions that you can consider:

• What have you learned about yourself as a result of the experience?
• Have you developed because of it? How?
• Did it have any positive or negative bearing on your life?
• Looking back, what would you have done differently?
• Why do you think you made the particular choices that you did? Do you think these were the right choices?
• What are your thoughts on the experience in general? Was it a useful learning experience? What specific skills or perspectives did you acquire as a result?

These signpost questions should help kick-start your reflective process. Remember, asking yourself lots of questions is key to ensuring that you think deeply and critically about your experiences – a skill that is at the heart of writing a great reflective essay.

Consider using models of reflection (like the Gibbs or Kolb cycles) before, during, and after the learning process to ensure that you maintain a high standard of analysis. For example, before you really get stuck into the process, consider questions such as: what might happen (regarding the experience)? Are there any possible challenges to keep in mind? What knowledge is needed to be best prepared to approach the experience? Then, as you’re planning and writing, these questions may be useful: what is happening within the learning process? Is the process working out as expected? Am I dealing with the accompanying challenges successfully? Is there anything that needs to be done additionally to ensure that the learning process is successful? What am I learning from this? By adopting such a framework, you’ll be ensuring that you are keeping tabs on the reflective process that should underpin your work.

How to Strategically Plan Out the Reflective Essay Structure?

Here’s a very useful tip: although you may feel well prepared with all that time spent reflecting in your arsenal, do not, start writing your essay until you have worked out a comprehensive, well-rounded plan . Your writing will be so much more coherent, your ideas conveyed with structure and clarity, and your essay will likely achieve higher marks.

This is an especially important step when you’re tackling a reflective essay – there can be a tendency for people to get a little ‘lost’ or disorganised as they recount their life experiences in an erratic and often unsystematic manner as it is a topic so close to their hearts. But if you develop a thorough outline (this is the same as a ‘plan’) and ensure you stick to it like Christopher Columbus to a map, you should do just fine as you embark on the ultimate step of writing your essay. If you need further convincing on how important planning is, we’ve summarised the key benefits of creating a detailed essay outline below:

An outline allows you to establish the basic details that you plan to incorporate into your paper – this is great for helping you pick out any superfluous information, which can be removed entirely to make your essay succinct and to the point.

Think of the outline as a map – you plan in advance the points you wish to navigate through and discuss in your writing. Your work will more likely have a clear through line of thought, making it easier for the reader to understand. It’ll also help you avoid missing out any key information, and having to go back at the end and try to fit it in.

It’s a real time-saver! Because the outline essentially serves as the essay’s ‘skeleton’, you’ll save a tremendous amount of time when writing as you’ll be really familiar with what you want to say. As such, you’ll be able to allocate more time to editing the paper and ensuring it’s of a high standard.

Now you’re familiar with the benefits of using an outline for your reflective essay, it is essential that you know how to craft one. It can be considerably different from other typical essay outlines, mostly because of the varying subjects. But what remains the same, is that you need to start your outline by drafting the introduction, body and conclusion. More on this below.

Introduction

As is the case with all essays, your reflective essay must begin within an introduction that contains both a hook and a thesis statement. The point of having a ‘hook’ is to grab the attention of your audience or reader from the very beginning. You must portray the exciting aspects of your story in the initial paragraph so that you stand the best chances of holding your reader’s interest. Refer back to the opening quote of this article – did it grab your attention and encourage you to read more? The thesis statement is a brief summary of the focus of the essay, which in this case is a particular experience that influenced you significantly. Remember to give a quick overview of your experience – don’t give too much information away or you risk your reader becoming disinterested.

Next up is planning the body of your essay. This can be the hardest part of the entire paper; it’s easy to waffle and repeat yourself both in the plan and in the actual writing. Have you ever tried recounting a story to a friend only for them to tell you to ‘cut the long story short’? They key here is to put plenty of time and effort into planning the body, and you can draw on the following tips to help you do this well:

Try adopting a chronological approach. This means working through everything you want to touch upon as it happened in time. This kind of approach will ensure that your work is systematic and coherent. Keep in mind that a reflective essay doesn’t necessarily have to be linear, but working chronologically will prevent you from providing a haphazard recollection of your experience. Lay out the important elements of your experience in a timeline – this will then help you clearly see how to piece your narrative together.

Ensure the body of your reflective essay is well focused and contains appropriate critique and reflection. The body should not only summarise your experience, it should explore the impact that the experience has had on your life, as well as the lessons that you have learned as a result. The emphasis should generally be on reflection as opposed to summation. A reflective posture will not only provide readers with insight on your experience, it’ll highlight your personality and your ability to deal with or adapt to particular situations.

In the conclusion of your reflective essay, you should focus on bringing your piece together by providing a summary of both the points made throughout, and what you have learned as a result. Try to include a few points on why and how your attitudes and behaviours have been changed. Consider also how your character and skills have been affected, for example: what conclusions can be drawn about your problem-solving skills? What can be concluded about your approach to specific situations? What might you do differently in similar situations in the future? What steps have you taken to consolidate everything that you have learned from your experience? Keep in mind that your tutor will be looking out for evidence of reflection at a very high standard.

Congratulations – you now have the tools to create a thorough and accurate plan which should put you in good stead for the ultimate phase indeed of any essay, the writing process.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Reflective Essay

As with all written assignments, sitting down to put pen to paper (or more likely fingers to keyboard) can be daunting. But if you have put in the time and effort fleshing out a thorough plan, you should be well prepared, which will make the writing process as smooth as possible. The following points should also help ease the writing process:

• To get a feel for the tone and format in which your writing should be, read other typically reflective pieces in magazines and newspapers, for instance.
• Don’t think too much about how to start your first sentence or paragraph; just start writing and you can always come back later to edit anything you’re not keen on. Your first draft won’t necessarily be your best essay writing work but it’s important to remember that the earlier you start writing, the more time you will have to keep reworking your paper until it’s perfect. Don’t shy away from using a free-flow method, writing and recording your thoughts and feelings on your experiences as and when they come to mind. But make sure you stick to your plan. Your plan is your roadmap which will ensure your writing doesn’t meander too far off course.
• For every point you make about an experience or event, support it by describing how you were directly impacted, using specific as opposed to vague words to convey exactly how you felt.
• Write using the first-person narrative, ensuring that the tone of your essay is very personal and reflective of your character.
• If you need to, refer back to our notes earlier on creating an outline. As you work through your essay, present your thoughts systematically, remembering to focus on your key learning outcomes.
• Consider starting your introduction with a short anecdote or quote to grasp your readers’ attention, or other engaging techniques such as flashbacks.
• Choose your vocabulary carefully to properly convey your feelings and emotions. Remember that reflective writing has a descriptive component and so must have a wide range of adjectives to draw from. Avoid vague adjectives such as ‘okay’ or ‘nice’ as they don’t really offer much insight into your feelings and personality. Be more specific – this will make your writing more engaging.
• Be honest with your feelings and opinions. Remember that this is a reflective task, and is the one place you can freely admit – without any repercussions – that you failed at a particular task. When assessing your essay, your tutor will expect a deep level of reflection, not a simple review of your experiences and emotion. Showing deep reflection requires you to move beyond the descriptive. Be extremely critical about your experience and your response to it. In your evaluation and analysis, ensure that you make value judgements, incorporating ideas from outside the experience you had to guide your analysis. Remember that you can be honest about your feelings without writing in a direct way. Use words that work for you and are aligned with your personality.
• Once you’ve finished learning about and reflecting on your experience, consider asking yourself these questions: what did I particularly value from the experience and why? Looking back, how successful has the process been? Think about your opinions immediately after the experience and how they differ now, so that you can evaluate the difference between your immediate and current perceptions. Asking yourself such questions will help you achieve reflective writing effectively and efficiently.
• Don’t shy away from using a variety of punctuation. It helps keeps your writing dynamic! Doesn’t it?
• If you really want to awaken your reader’s imagination, you can use imagery to create a vivid picture of your experiences.
• Ensure that you highlight your turning point, or what we like to call your “Aha!” moment. Without this moment, your resulting feelings and thoughts aren’t as valid and your argument not as strong.
• Don’t forget to keep reiterating the lessons you have learned from your experience.

Bonus Tip - Using Wider Sources

Although a reflective piece of writing is focused on personal experience, it’s important you draw on other sources to demonstrate your understanding of your experience from a theoretical perspective. It’ll show a level of analysis – and a standard of reliability in what you’re claiming – if you’re also able to validate your work against other perspectives that you find. Think about possible sources, like newspapers, surveys, books and even journal articles. Generally, the additional sources you decide to include in your work are highly dependent on your field of study. Analysing a wide range of sources, will show that you have read widely on your subject area, that you have nuanced insight into the available literature on the subject of your essay, and that you have considered the broader implications of the literature for your essay. The incorporation of other sources into your essay also helps to show that you are aware of the multi-dimensional nature of both the learning and problem-solving process.

Reflective Essay Example

If you want some inspiration for writing, take a look at our example of a short reflective essay , which can serve as a useful starting point for you when you set out to write your own.

Some Final Notes to Remember

To recap, the key to writing a reflective essay is demonstrating what lessons you have taken away from your experiences, and why and how you have been shaped by these lessons.

The reflective thinking process begins with you – you must consciously make an effort to identify and examine your own thoughts in relation to a particular experience. Don’t hesitate to explore any prior knowledge or experience of the topic, which will help you identify why you have formed certain opinions on the subject. Remember that central to reflective essay writing is the examination of your attitudes, assumptions and values, so be upfront about how you feel. Reflective writing can be quite therapeutic, helping you identify and clarify your strengths and weaknesses, particularly in terms of any knowledge gaps that you may have. It’s a pretty good way of improving your critical thinking skills, too. It enables you to adopt an introspective posture in analysing your experiences and how you learn/make sense of them.

If you are still having difficulties with starting the writing process, why not try mind-mapping which will help you to structure your thinking and ideas, enabling you to produce a coherent piece. Creating a mind map will ensure that your argument is written in a very systematic way that will be easy for your tutor to follow. Here’s a recap of the contents of this article, which also serves as a way to create a mind map:

1. Identify the topic you will be writing on.

2. Note down any ideas that are related to the topic and if you want to, try drawing a diagram to link together any topics, theories, and ideas.

3. Allow your ideas to flow freely, knowing that you will always have time to edit your reflective essay .

4. Consider how your ideas are connected to each other, then begin the writing process.

And finally, keep in mind that although there are descriptive elements in a reflective essay, we can’t emphasise enough how crucial it is that your work is critical, analytical, and adopts a reflective posture in terms of your experience and the lessons you have learned from it.

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How to Write a Reflective Essay

To write a reflective essay, choose a personal experience and reflect on its impact. Outline your thoughts, starting with an introduction. In the body, describe the experience and your reflections. Conclude by summarizing your insights. Revise for clarity and coherence.

Reflective essay definition: "Reflective writing is a practice of analyzing a situation from a perspective that may differ from the viewpoint of the audience. Reflective writing entails the process of collecting data, organizing and synthesizing the gathered data, and expressing a personal opinion about the collected data and opinion." Reflection on one's experiences is reflected in one's writing.

This type of writing challenges your ability to look back onto one's own experiences and put it on paper in a well-structured and sort of a narrative way. The aim is to describe your feelings, a certain perspective on the event. Later on, you will need to make a conclusion on what impact something particular has had on you. There will be a need to describe what you have learned from that and how this new knowledge may have changed your perception.

Let's dive in!

What Is a Reflective Essay?

"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." - E.L. Doctorow.

A reflective essay is a type of writing where the author explores and analyzes their life experiences. Through this exploration, the writer reflects on how these experiences have contributed to their personal evolution, growth, or development.

Knowing how to write a reflection essay involves more than a predetermined format but is an art of creative expression. As an aspiring writer, you must delve into personal experiences. From topics like your first day in college to pivotal global events, you must infuse unique perspectives into your narrative. *Choosing the Right Theme ‍

Whether given a prompt by a teacher or the autonomy to choose, theme selection is pivotal. Your topics may range widely, but remember to engage your emotions to breathe life into the words. If you’re unsure what to do, you can buy essays online to be your guide.

*Weaving a Compelling Narrative

Create a story that envelops the reader by ensuring meticulous attention to adjectives and details. A reflective essay transcends mere recounting and immerses readers in a world where emotions and experiences unfold naturally.

*The Power of Honest Reflection

Consistency and relevance are the bedrock of compelling reflective essays. Be clear and coherent so your readers can seamlessly follow your train of thought. Embrace your emotions for authenticity in expression.To craft an excellent reflection essay, blend creativity with honesty. Let emotions flow naturally, and carefully choose vocabulary that aligns with your chosen format.

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How to Start Writing a Reflection Essay

Follow these steps to get started:

• Comprehend and condense the content.
• Examine the material thoroughly.
• Choose a central theme.
• Draw connections among your viewpoints.
• Start with an introductory segment.
• Craft the main body of the essay.
• Conclude effectively.
• Review and refine your writing.

Now you might already have an idea of what the reflection writing is. Yet, before you get to the actual writing process, let's take a look at some steps that a student should take. Their overview is highly likely to help you define your course of action.

First, think of events, places, people, books, and whatnot. Pick a certain object or an event that has had an impact on you, notwithstanding whether it was negative or positive. 

Choose a certain thing that you really feel like talking about at this particular moment in time. Think of the effects it had on you; be ready to describe this experience in detail. 

A reflection essay requires having your thoughts and views on particular subjects on paper. Some students choose to abstain from storytelling here. Still, never forget to add your personality in writing, make your own voice heard. 

• Choose the topic
• Reflect on it
• Make an outline
• Write a draft
• Compose specific body parts
• Make a conclusion

So, let's proceed with answering the key question - how to write a reflective essay? What to start with? What is the structure? 

Although reflective writing has a similar format with any other essay, it has some special features that each writer working on such a piece should bear in mind. In the sections below, you will find answers to all these questions.

We will reveal the crucial components of A-grade worth writing for you. 

Reflective Essay Outline&Structure

As all the types of academic writing, a reflection essay requires a proper outline with all the crucial elements indicated. It will lead a writer throughout the whole piece as well as you as an author through each step of creating the material. 

In this case, it is even more essential, as while writing and reflecting on your own experience, it's risky to lose the train of thoughts and go the wrong direction. 

That is why you must have a clear structure at hand. Following it closely would guarantee a coherent writing piece as a result. 

Let's take a look at the basic parts that you may stick to while working on your reflective essay paragraphs.

This is a pretty common reflective essay scheme. Yet, it is still able to help you follow the topic without any risk of going too far or in a completely wrong direction with this text.

A reflection essay outline always consists of good old traditional parts, which are as follows:

• Introduction;
• Conclusion. 

An Introduction is a part where the main reflective essay thesis must be coherently outlined and presented. Readers should get to know at this point what the whole paper is going to be about. 

In this section, you are also free to convey to the audience a particular impression you might have had on the subject matter. It of crucial importance to be consistent here in this part. Don't forget to mention all the main points in the right order with appropriate linking. 

Example of the thesis: "The moment I'd read "Pride and Prejudice" when I was eleven, it was like my eyes opened for the first time. This masterpiece stirred unconditional love for classics within me that I didn't realize could exist." 

The Body part is usually the core of the work, and it must include all the main ideas. Each sentence must be well presented and clearly structured. 

In this part, a writer is answering the following question. How the event or a situation has changed him, and in what way? It is important to indicate several main effects and describe each one in a separate paragraph. A short summary must be provided by examples as supporting details. 

For example, if you write that something has made you more motivated, give a particular example from life. Note down when you felt motivated and how a certain situation has helped you succeed. 

In the Conclusion section the main points from the body of the text need to be re-translated. Recap the ideas you've already provided, offer some final thoughts. You may finish the paper with a rhetorical question aimed at the audience. You may also contemplate possible future events in your life that might result from the experience you've already covered. 

Having the main aspects covered, let's talk about the actual business now.

Did you like our inspiring Reflective Essay Guide?

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How to Start a Reflective Essay : Introduction ‍

In the introductory part of your reflective essay, you'll articulate the essay's objective and theme. It's here where you'll present the thesis of your paper and provide the reader with an understanding of the motivations behind your choice of subject.

If you’re stuck wondering “how do I write my essay ”, you are not alone. Completing this assignment is challenging for many students. The pivotal first sentence of the essay is often a stumbling block.

Pondering, how do you write a reflective essay? Remember that the introduction holds the power to captivate or lose your reader. You must enthrall your audience by weaving in a compelling hook like:

*Inspiring quote*Rhetorical question

*Interesting anecdote

*Intriguing fact

Capture attention by highlighting your narrative’s most intriguing facets. Unveil a potent thesis statement, making it succinct yet impactful.

Avoid delving into excessive details. Instead, kindle curiosity, inviting readers to journey through every line. Another approach is offering a glimpse of forthcoming conclusions, creating anticipation.

Check this example, "A childhood incident forced me into premature adulthood." Mastering this art ensures your introduction resonates, leaving readers eager for the rest of your narrative.

How to Write a Body Section

Ideally, the main part should be divided into three paragraphs. Each one should include a separate idea or reflect a particular thought on the matter. Here's how you can do it: 

1. In the first paragraph, mention one reason the subject impressed you and why. Give more details and describe your emotions. This piece is all about reflective writing, so there are no right answers. The core is to offer your original perspective. Speculate, be open, but don't forget about the "conclusion – reason – example" format that is key here. 

2. In the second part you should present the reasoning for choosing to write on a specific subject. Mention what impact it has had on you. Stick to the formula outline in the aforementioned paragraph.

3. In the third part, mention yet another point that you might have on your mind. You should write about how the person, event, book, news, etc. have influenced you and why. 

When reflecting on the subject, remember to ask yourself the following questions. They will give you more food for thought and will help in keeping you in the right direction:

• What have you found out about your personality after this experience? 
• Was it a good or bad experience?
• What are the lessons you've learned from it?
• Why do you think this specific event has happened? Did you make the right decision at a time?
• If you had a chance to change something, what exactly would it be?
• What are your general thoughts on a matter? Was it useful (rewarding?) experience or not? Why?

Bear these reflection examples in mind when you write each body part paragraph. Reflect on every chosen aspect in a separate paragraph.

The Conclusion of a Reflection Essay

There are several ways to finish writing a reflective essay. Let's take a look at some of them:

• Summarize all the points;
• Reflect on the "What if" situation. How would you act with your current experience and the views you have now? Would your actions remain the same, or would you change anything? 
• You can also approach this point in another way. Try to answer the following question in your text - how will you act in the future, if this event repeats? Will you do anything differently? Why?
• Formulate a rhetorical question aimed at your readers. 
• Outline what exactly you've learned from the situation in question. 

Your conclusion should be brief and comprehensive. Every reader should experience the feeling of a story that has been told with all the t's crossed.

Tips for Writing a Good Reflective Essay

• Even though you are working on a personal story, it is still academic writing, which requires appropriate language and sources.  ‍ So, do your research, study the subject from as many viewpoints as possible. Reference relevant sources. This will show your awareness of the topic and the ability to analyze the subject from different angles.
• Don't mention not credible resources like: "a friend of mine thinks," "my mom says," etc. ‍
• To get a deeper understanding of what reflective writing looks like, read some samples, and get used to the format.  ‍
• Use the first-person narrative like "I" or "Me," but don't overwork it. There is no need to get too personal. ‍
• To make your story more captivating and logical, don't forget to mention a turning point that has influenced you.

Reflective Essay Examples

To make you have a more vivid picture of a reflection essay, we've prepared a sample, with a detailed description of its structure. 

The example above demonstrates a coherent story that covers the writer's feelings, one's standpoint, thought on the experience, and life-changing conclusions reached afterward. 

It is spiced with a nice choice of adjectives, so readers may vividly imagine the story and stay focused on it. Pay attention, that there is no extra information given, besides the actual subject and its impact. 

Reflective Essay Topics

A reflective essay topic may be assigned by a teacher or chosen by a student. Since the task is all contemplating personal experience, you may treat such a piece as an excerpt from a diary that you are ready to share with others. 

Choose something that does matter in your book. If you're a bit lost and don't have a clue about the right theme, here're some guiding examples.

Important people:

• Someone, you've enjoyed learning from (nor necessarily a teacher.) It may be your best friend, somebody from your family, etc.
• A house from your childhood;
• A city or a country you've been to;
• An important place that has inspired you.

Life-changing events: ‍

• A time of your biggest achievement\failure;
• An overwhelming experience;
• A concert, a match or a performance that you've visited;
• A significant memory from your childhood;
• An important dialog.
• A movie that has impressed you;
• A book that happened to change your perception;
• A magazine that you used to read a lot;
• Social media platform that has changed your life.

These are some reflective essay ideas, which you may consider covering in your writing. 

Whether you're good at reflecting on your life or not, mastering the skill of self-awareness is crucial. We all experience ups and downs, and it's important to learn from our mistakes and make conscious decisions in our lives.

To become self-aware, be willing to admit failure, accept critical feedback, consider different perspectives, and be open to changing your views. Reflective writing is not just about creating, but also about critical thinking. Be prepared to assess and evaluate your own choices and decisions.

Frequently asked questions

How to write a good reflective essay check out these helpful hacks .

Need to understand how to create a reflective essay? Worry not! Crafting a standout reflective essay is a breeze with these essential tips. Start by capturing attention with a compelling hook. Unveil intriguing aspects of your story, and wrap it up with a potent thesis statement. Keep it concise captivating, and let your personal journey shine through until the end.

How to End a Reflective Essay? Here’s How to Conclude with Impact

A professional custom essay writing service recommends ending your reflective essay with a bang! Wrap up your reflection writing with a strong conclusion. Make it impactful and memorable by summarizing key points, offering final thoughts, providing lessons, and perhaps posing a rhetorical question for more reflection. Keep things concise to ensure your ending leaves a lasting impression on your readers.

Writing a Reflective Essay? Do It Without Losing Your Focus

Discover how to do a reflective essay without losing focus by skillfully crafting a clear introduction that hooks your reader. Ensure a seamless flow by presenting the main ideas coherently in the body of your essay. Conclude with impact, leaving a lasting impression with a strong summary.

Engage your reader throughout, guaranteeing captivation from your opening lines to the concluding salvo. Let your body paragraphs tell an intimate story while your introduction captures the reader's attention.

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How to Write a Reflective Essay

• 3-minute read
• 29th August 2018

If you think that a “reflective essay” is a college paper written on a mirror, this post is for you. That’s because we’re here to explain exactly what a reflective essay is and how to write one. And we can tell you from the outset that no mirrors are required to follow our advice.

What Is Reflective Writing?

The kind of “reflection” we’re talking about here is personal. It involves considering your own situation and analyzing it so you can learn from your experiences. To do this, you need to describe what happened, how you felt about it, and what you might be able to learn from it for the future.

This makes reflective writing a useful part of courses that involve work-based learning . For instance, a student nurse might be asked to write a reflective essay about a placement.

When writing a reflective essay, moreover, you may have to forget the rule about not using pronouns like “I” or “we” in academic writing. In reflective writing, using the first person is essential!

The Reflective Cycle

There are many approaches to reflective learning, but one of the most popular is Gibb’s Reflective Cycle . This was developed by Professor Graham Gibbs and can be applied to a huge range of situations. In all cases, though, it involves the following steps:

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• Description – You will need to describe your experiences in detail. This includes what happened, where and when it happened, who else was involved, and what you did.
• Feelings – How you felt before, during, and after the experience you describe.
• Evaluation and Analysis – Think about what went well and what could be improved upon based on your experience. Try to refer to ideas you’ve learned in class while thinking about this.
• Conclusions – Final thoughts on what you’ve learned from the experience.
• Action – How you will put what you’ve learned into practice.

If your reflective essay addresses the steps above, you are on the right track!

Structuring a Reflective Essay

While reflective essays vary depending upon topic and subject area, most share a basic overall structure. Unless you are told otherwise, then, your essay should include the following:

• Introduction – A brief outline of what your essay is about.
• Main Body – The main part of your essay will be a description of what happened and how it made you feel . This is also where you will evaluate and analyze your experiences, either as part of the description or as a separate section in the essay.
• Conclusion – The conclusion of your essay should sum up what you have learned from reflecting on your experiences and what you would do differently in the future.
• Reference List – If you have cited any sources in your essay, make sure to list them with full bibliographic information at the end of the document.

Finally, once you’ve written your essay, don’t forget to get it checked for spelling and grammar errors!

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Essay Papers Writing Online

Learn how to effectively write reflective essays and improve your writing skills.

In the realm of the written word, there exists a distinctive genre that invites a deep exploration of personal experiences and thoughts. These compositions, known as reflective essays, offer a unique opportunity for individuals to delve into the depths of their own minds and emerge with a newfound understanding of themselves and their experiences. Through the artful weaving of narratives, insights, and emotions, reflective essays serve as a powerful tool for self-reflection and growth.

Within these reflective compositions, one can find a wealth of tips and techniques that elevate the quality of the writing, thereby enabling individuals to convey their thoughts and feelings with precision and clarity. From the careful selection of language to the strategic deployment of literary devices, these strategies serve as guideposts as writers embark on their introspective journey. By employing these techniques, one can transform a mere collection of anecdotes into a cohesive and resonant piece of literature, capable of stirring the hearts and minds of its readers.

Embracing the inherent strength of these essays lies in the ability to capture the essence of one’s experiences and thoughts through the lens of introspection. By cultivating a strong sense of self-awareness, writers can effectively convey their emotions and perceptions, allowing their words to reach the hearts of their audience. The reflective essay, at its core, seeks to create a connection, a bond between the writer and reader, as they embark on a shared voyage of understanding and introspection. Through the power of vulnerability and honesty, these essays possess the ability to touch the souls of those who encounter them, fostering a sense of unity and empathy in an increasingly disconnected world.

Tips for Writing Reflective Essays

In this section, we will explore some valuable advice for crafting thoughtful and engaging reflective essays. By following these tips, you can enhance your writing skills and effectively convey your personal experiences and insights.

By incorporating these tips into your writing process, you can create insightful and impactful reflective essays that captivate readers and evoke thoughtful contemplation.

Choosing a Meaningful Topic

When starting a reflective essay, one of the most important steps is choosing a meaningful and engaging topic to write about. Selecting a topic that resonates with you personally will not only make the writing process more enjoyable, but it will also allow for a deeper exploration of your thoughts and emotions.

Instead of simply choosing a generic or common topic, try to think of an experience or event in your life that has had a significant impact on you. This could be a personal achievement, a challenging obstacle you overcame, or a meaningful relationship or friendship. By selecting a topic that holds personal significance, you will be able to connect more intimately with your writing and convey your thoughts and feelings more authentically.

In addition to personal significance, it is also important to consider the potential for growth and self-reflection within a chosen topic. Reflective essays are meant to encourage introspection and self-awareness, so be sure to choose a topic that allows for this exploration. Look for topics that offer the opportunity to analyze your thoughts and actions, and consider how they have shaped your personal growth and development.

Finally, consider the potential audience for your essay when selecting a topic. While reflective writing is deeply personal, it is still important to consider who will be reading your essay and what they may find interesting or meaningful. If your essay is for a specific class or instructor, think about how you can select a topic that aligns with the course material or objectives. If the essay is for a wider audience, such as a personal blog or publication, consider selecting a topic that may resonate with a broader range of readers.

In conclusion, choosing a meaningful topic for your reflective essay is crucial to the success of your writing. By selecting a topic that holds personal significance, offers room for growth and self-reflection, and considers your audience, you can create a reflective essay that truly engages and resonates with your readers.

Organizing Your Thoughts and Ideas

Arranging and structuring your thoughts and ideas is essential when it comes to effectively expressing your reflective thoughts in an essay. Developing a clear and coherent framework enables you to convey your reflections in a logical and organized manner.

One practical approach to organizing your thoughts and ideas is to start by brainstorming or mind mapping. This technique allows you to generate a variety of ideas and connections related to your topic. By jotting down these initial thoughts and arranging them spatially, you can visually see the relationships between different concepts and identify potential themes or patterns.

After brainstorming, it is helpful to create an outline for your reflective essay. Outlining helps you structure your essay and provides a roadmap for your writing process. Consider dividing your essay into sections or paragraphs based on the main topics or ideas you want to discuss. This will help you maintain a clear and logical flow throughout your essay.

Within each section of your essay, consider using transitional phrases and sentences to connect your thoughts and ideas smoothly. Transitional words and phrases such as “however,” “in addition,” or “therefore” can help you establish relationships between different points and ensure your essay’s coherence.

Furthermore, consider using headings and subheadings to provide an additional level of organization and clarity. Headings can help guide your reader through your essay and make it easier for them to follow your train of thought. Additionally, using headings can help you stay focused on specific aspects of your reflections.

Lastly, revisiting and revising your essay is crucial for ensuring that your thoughts and ideas are effectively organized. Take the time to read through your essay and check for any inconsistencies or gaps in your reasoning. Consider seeking feedback from others to gain different perspectives and to ensure that your essay effectively conveys your reflective thoughts.

In conclusion, organizing your thoughts and ideas is a vital step in writing a reflective essay. By brainstorming, creating an outline, using transitional phrases, incorporating headings, and revising your work, you can ensure that your essay effectively conveys your reflections in a logical and coherent manner.

Using Personal Examples and Anecdotes

Utilizing personal experiences and anecdotes can greatly enhance the quality and effectiveness of your reflective essay. By incorporating your own unique stories, you can help readers connect with your ideas on a deeper level and make your essay more relatable.

Sharing personal examples allows you to illustrate the concepts and themes you are discussing in a tangible and memorable way. Through these stories, you can provide concrete evidence and real-life situations that support your argument or reflection. Additionally, personal anecdotes can add authenticity and emotional appeal to your writing, making it more engaging and compelling for your audience.

When utilizing personal examples and anecdotes, it is vital to choose stories that are relevant to your topic and align with your main points. Consider experiences that have had a significant impact on your life or have shaped your perspective. These stories should help to illustrate your main themes and offer a unique insight into your reflections.

Furthermore, be sure to provide enough detail in your anecdotes to paint a vivid picture for your readers. Describe the setting, the people involved, and the emotions you felt during the experience. By providing this level of detail, you can transport your readers into the moment and help them better understand your perspective.

However, it is important to strike a balance when using personal examples and anecdotes. While they can be valuable tools for enhancing your writing, it is crucial not to overuse them. Your essay should still maintain a sense of coherence and flow, with the main focus remaining on your reflective analysis.

Reflecting on Your Emotions and Feelings

Examining and understanding your emotions and feelings is a crucial part of the reflective essay-writing process. In this section, we will explore the various ways in which you can reflect on your emotional experiences and delve into the depths of your innermost thoughts. By doing so, you will be able to gain insights into your own personal growth and development, as well as enhance your self-awareness.

When reflecting on your emotions and feelings, it is important to delve beneath the surface and explore the underlying reasons behind them. Sometimes our emotions can be influenced by past experiences, cultural background, or even societal expectations. By taking the time to understand the root causes of our emotions, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our reactions to certain situations.

• Consider the context: Reflecting on your emotions involves considering the context in which they arise. Analyze the specific circumstances, events, or interactions that trigger strong emotional responses. Ask yourself why certain situations provoke certain emotions and what you can learn from them.
• Identify patterns: Look for recurring themes or patterns in your emotional reactions. Do you notice a tendency to feel anxious in certain situations or to become overly excited in others? Recognizing these patterns can help you gain valuable insights into your emotional tendencies and may lead to personal growth.
• Use descriptive language: When reflecting on your emotions and feelings, try to express them using descriptive language. This will help you capture the depth and intensity of your emotional experiences, allowing you to reflect on them more effectively.
• Consider the impact: Reflecting on your emotions involves not only understanding how they affect you, but also considering how they impact others. Reflect on how your emotional reactions may have influenced your relationships, decision-making, or overall well-being.
• Seek feedback: Sometimes, gaining an outside perspective can provide valuable insights into your own emotions. Consider seeking feedback from trusted friends, family members, or mentors who can offer a different perspective on your emotional experiences.

Overall, reflecting on your emotions and feelings is an integral part of the reflective essay-writing process. By engaging in self-reflection and introspection, you can gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your emotional responses. This will not only enhance your writing but also contribute to personal growth and self-awareness.

Providing Concrete Examples and Evidence

When crafting reflective essays, it is crucial to support your thoughts and ideas with concrete examples and evidence. By doing so, you can effectively convey your experiences and observations while making your writing more engaging and credible.

Utilizing specific examples allows you to delve into the details of your experiences, providing a vivid picture for your readers. Instead of simply stating that you had a challenging experience, describing a particular instance or interaction helps paint a clearer picture and allows your readers to connect with your story on a deeper level.

In addition to providing specific examples, incorporating evidence further strengthens your reflective essays. This can include references to academic studies, research findings, or expert perspectives that support your claims and enhance the validity of your arguments. By backing up your thoughts and ideas with evidence, you demonstrate that you have thoroughly researched and considered the topic at hand.

When selecting examples and evidence to include in your reflective essay, it is essential to choose ones that are relevant and directly support your main points. Be sure to use a variety of sources and perspectives to provide a well-rounded view of your experiences and insights.

In conclusion, providing concrete examples and evidence is a crucial aspect of writing reflective essays. By including specific instances and supporting your ideas with relevant evidence, you not only engage your readers but also strengthen the credibility of your writing. Remember to choose examples and evidence that directly support your main points and provide a well-rounded perspective on your experiences.

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A reflective essay is a type of writing where you explore how an event, experience, or concept has influenced your development or perspective. It involves deep thinking, self-analysis, and personal reflection. In a reflective essay, you explai what you learned and how you changed as a result of that experience.

In this article, you will learn how to write a reflective essay, and how to highlight impactful experiences. A reflection essay seems easy as you don’t have to defend one’s point of view or convince the reader of something. But it has its challenges, so we recommend to keep on reading and find out everything you need to know about this type of essay. More complex examples are available down below.

What Is a Reflective Essay: Definition

A good question to start with is, “What is a reflective essay?” A reflective essay is a type of academic writing, in which the student has to test personal life experience/position towards a particular topic. Unlike in argumentative writing, the student does not have to defend the personal position. It does not require a complicated, professional language with some terminology. Do not define something - focus on sharing personal life experience, skills, development, and the most vivid examples to illustrate the topic.

Reflective Essay Format

A reflection essay student writes to meet the college writing standards has a different format from the one a magazine writer should present to reach the issue’s audience. However, each reflective paper has a similar outline. Reflective essay format depends on the general requirements your teacher provides. Some of them can ask for a specific format for your essay. APA writing style , MLA, and Chicago are the basic formats you can use. But if you don’t know exactly which formatting to use, you can use reflective essay apa format. This is the most common college essay format, so knowing its requirements is critical: Font:  Times New Roman, 12 points Interval:  Double interval Margins:  1 inch all round Page Numbers:  Insert a title in the upper left corner of each page.  

Reflective Essay Outline and Structure

Knowing how to write a reflective essay is essential. Even if you feel confident about your thoughts and knowledge, don’t start your writing without a clear and well-designed plan. Without logical essay structure , your essay will likely achieve lower marks. To avoid this situation, follow 10 easy steps we provided below. The first thing every student needs to understand how to write a good reflective essay is an effective, detailed outline. It has 3 typical sections: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Writing a reflective essay does not require any references – the only person to refer is the student who decides to share his thoughts & ideas. Let’s look at 4 main reasons to include an outline of reflective essays.  

• An outline assists in laying out the details the student wants to leave after narrowing down the draft before working on the final paper. It prevents them from concluding the essay by realizing something is missing.
• An outline provides a clear, concise roadmap, which prevents the writer from taking curvy paths and facing dead ends. It shows the way like a compass in the woods.
• An outline helps to save a lot of time.
• An outline helps the potential readers, including teachers & classmates, to avoid falling off the main point when reading the essay partially.

Reflective essay outline is not much different from other types of essays. Use this reflective essay template in creating your perfect reflective essay:

How to Start a Reflective Essay: Creating an Introduction

Let’s figure out how to write a reflective essay introduction. Start with stating the primary focus of the personal reflection. Avoid being indirect and covering a range of topics; stay direct and concise by underlining the basic purpose of sharing a life experience. Professional Opinion:

“Giving a preview of the most exciting part of the story is a clue. The target reader may lack time to read the full piece from cover to cover. “There are many things I have learned from Marketing class. The most valuable lesson I have obtained is checking the effectiveness of 2 different approaches or services through utilizing so-called A/B testing.” It will make the reader think about what is special about this specific method. The reader will go on reading the body paragraphs to find out!” Professor Hemsworth, History & Anthropology teacher and academic writer at StudyCrumb

Another way to attract attention in the introductory paragraph is to come up with the intriguing hook for essay sentences like statistics, fact, quote, metaphor, rhetorical question, or joke. It depends on the mood of your reflective narrative.

Working on Reflective Essay Thesis

Some people may say that a reflective essay does not need a thesis. However, the example shared in the previous section talking about introduction is an example of the inspiring thesis statement. Include at least a reflective summary of the primary idea. The best idea would be to focus on previewing the peak of the plot development or highlighting the most valuable lesson learned. Let’s take a look at this little reflective essay thesis sample.

If you find it challenging, rely on our  professional essay writing service  and have your reflective essay done with academic standards in mind. 

Writing a Reflection Essay Body Paragraph

What is the purpose of a body paragraph ? The body paragraphs of the reflective analysis interpret the way the author evolved or what he/she has absorbed from a particular life lesson (mention 3 different lessons). When writing your reflective essay you should mention the circumstances that forced you to pass a certain way. If you study a subject like English Literature or Arts, the paper’s prompt may ask you to describe how you changed as a field professional during the course of study. It is important to choose a specific interval of time to list the improvements. Compare & contrast the initial skills to the knowledge you have today. It is a great idea to tell the audience the ways various tasks, challenges, and lessons made the author grow since the beginning of his education. There is no need to conduct research to collect the supporting evidence. The author alone is responsible for defending every stated claim with the help of vivid samples that describe the topic the best. Example: In case the student has become more professional in the field of writing, he should list the causes of those changes (new English teacher, more practice at home, part-time job related to the field of writing). Who knows – some of the ideas may be used by other students to succeed!  

How to Write a Reflective Essay Conclusion

The question of how to end a reflection paper is not less important. The last challenge is to prepare an impressive, inspiring, and powerful conclusion, which will make the target readers want to develop the same positive way. Write a reflective summary regarding the way you have changed over a given period of time. Share some forecast by looking ahead: how the experiences listed in the essay would influence further personal development. By looking at the past events, decide which of them was the most important. The good idea is to compare & contrast past and future events to stress the gaps between the obtained skills and experience, possibly gained in the future. Don't want to bother with writing any conclusions? Use a summary maker to generate e reflective essay conlusion in seconds.

How to Write a Reflective Essay: 10 Easy Steps

Writing personal reflection helps students to stress their individuality by highlighting various skills, knowledge, behavior, feelings, and even mood. The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to show how the person changed over time and what factors played an important role in those metamorphoses. Keep on reading this section to learn steps that will make your reflective writing perfect. Step 1:  Think of the questions that interest you the most. It may be your experience, feelings, or an event in life. Make sure you analyzed the question well. Check credible sources and collect relevant information. Step 2:  Decide what you want to write about. Make sure you know how to title an essay . Identify the topic. Step 3:  After you decided on a topic, create an appealing title that will entice readers. Make sure your title is clear and to the point. Step 4:  Create an outline of your essay. Step 5:  Create an attention-grabbing hook for reflective essay. It should be some intriguing sentence or phrase that will arouse the interest of your readers. Step 6:  Create an introduction of your reflection paper. Step 7:  Think what you will include in the main body of your text. Start writing your body paragraphs. Step 8:  Diversify your text with all the necessary details to make your readers see a clear picture of the environment in your story. It can be some place, people, atmosphere, etc. Step 9:  After the reader is already familiar with the setting and characters, you should tell about yourself. What were your feelings? How has the situation affected you? What did you learn from this situation? Step 10:  Conclude your reflective essay. Briefly summarize all the points that were mentioned in your text and provide a short moral with recommendations. You can use these steps as a checklist for your writing process. In case you need another step-by-step guide on response essays  or any other type of writing, we've got you covered.

>> Read more: How to Write Essays

Reflective Essays Sample From Successful College Students

No recommendations, tips & tricks help the students to understand the way a particular assignment should look like in the end as effectively as the examples. The article contains one of the up-to-date reflective essay examples from a college student.

Writing a Reflective Essay: Bottom Line

Congratulations, we have learned how to write a reflective essay. We really do hope that our guidelines, tips, and examples were useful to you. Now, you can definitely work on your reflection assignment with a clear understanding of its structure and main points. So start your writing, and the sky's the limit! 

In case you need more writing tips, feel free to browse our Blog. Be it a diagnostic essay , a synthesis essay  or a response paper , we have tutorials for any type of writing. 

Consider  buying essay papers  in case you've got other plans for the evening. Submit your details to StudyCrumb and get an astounding paper written in line with your requirements. Your assigned writer will handle any assignment with a blink of an eye!

Frequently Asked Questions about Writing a Reflective Essay

1. what is a common mistake when writing a reflective essay.

A common mistake when writing a reflective essay is to drift away from the subject you're writing about. It usually happens when you don’t stick to your initial plan. So plan your writing well and if you feel that you go a bit off topic, be sure that you return to the same topic you originally discussed.

2. What is the purpose of writing a reflective essay?

The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to make a student write about their personal experience, explore it, reflect on it and find positive and negative aspects. The goal is to analyze how a student changed due to this experience and what made them change. What lesson a student learned is an essential point in persuasive writing.

3. How to write a reflective essay on a book?

If you are writing a reflective essay on a book, the main task is to show your teacher how you reflect on a chosen book, how you understand the problem presented by an author. To create a good essay, start with brief information about the author. Then, without spoilers, briefly summarize the main points of a book. After that explain the main conflicts, share your impressions. Ask questions like: “What are the peculiarities of the main characters?”, “What did an author want to say by indicating the main issues?”

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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8 Tips For Writing A Great Reflective Essay (With Examples)

By writing a reflective essay, you can capture some of these ephemeral emotions and make sense of who you are. Below, I share eight tips (and a few examples) that will help you do it in a better way. You may have to write a reflective essay as a part of an academic assignment or a college paper. Or perhaps you want to create it for yourself and never show it to anyone. Regardless of the reason, after reading this article, you will hopefully become better at it. They helped a lot of students over the years, so you may check them out.

Here’s how to write a great reflective essay:

1. first, what is a reflective essay, 2. the power of writing introspectively.

Many great men and women (like Charles Darwin or Frida Kahlo ) had a habit of keeping a journal. This seems to be forgotten these days as we record everything through our mobile devices. But the habit of introspective writing and journaling helps you get in touch with your inner self and even improves your mental health. The reflective essay serves a similar purpose. It lets you search for meaning in your life and lets you discover the underlying causes of your actions.

“Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forwards.” – Søren Kierkegaard

3. How do you start your essay?

This beginning has certain elements that make it effective:.

“When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.” – Ralph Ellison

4. Learn how to structure your essay

In terms of length, it all depends on your assignment, but usually, the reflective essay has between 300 and 700 words . It has a rather informal structure and the use of language. After all, you’re drilling into your personal experiences, and often, this requires a poetic turn of the phrase. You’re more than welcome to use a wide range of advanced vocabulary .

Introduction

5. create an outline for your essay.

As with most writing assignments , the work begins with ideation and then creating some sort of outline . Here’s a simple process you can use to get everything ready before you start writing: a) Scan your mind in search of powerful experiences, meaningful memories, and thoughts about your past. This will serve as a raw material from which you’ll sculpt a piece of prose. b) Consider the attractiveness of your topic from the reader’s point of view. You certainly don’t want to bore anyone, so pick something interesting, but important. c) Organize your essay and divide it into a couple of paragraphs. Each paragraph should contain one important idea. d) Decide in which sequence you would like to share your ideas. Put some logic and chronology behind it. e) Jot down any side notes included in the essay. It’s always better to have an overabundance of material.

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” – C.G. Jung

6. The essay-writing process

Once you have the idea, you can follow a simple process:, 7. how to pick the right topic for your essay.

If you’re writing an assignment, you’ll probably receive the prompt from your professor. If that’s the case, follow it diligently. This may be something like: a) Reflect on what you learned during your first year of high school. b) Think about your favorite book and how it changed your life . c) How did your writing skills change over the years? And why? Or it might be something really specific like Write a two-page reflection paper on the Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Here, it’s not only about your personal experience, but about your interaction with a specific text, event, play, or movie and the effect it had on you. But what if you want to write an essay on your own? Which topic would you choose then? First, pick something meaningful to you. Second, pick something that you know well. Third, pick something that you want to explore and get deep into.

Here’s some more inspiration in the area of topics:

Personal reflection:, reflection on life and meaning:, reflection on events:.

“Reflect upon your present blessings — of which every man has many — not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens

8. Learn from the masters

Montaigne was the father of the essay as a literary form. He was the first writer to use informal tone, colloquial language, and rather prosaic themes to get to the deeper truth about human nature.

I recommend you check his essays for inspiration, along with other masterworks:

And here are a few books filled with great reflective essays:.

And here you may find a huge list of 450+ essay books on Goodreads.

“Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” – Albert Einstein

Example #1 of a reflective essay:

The misgivings about the high school football, here’s a second, shorter sample of a reflective essay:, the sources of love for instrumental music., looking backward, moving forward.

There are certain milestones in your life: finishing high school, falling in love for the first time, your first journey abroad, the first kiss, the first psychedelic trip, graduating from the university, getting your first job, getting married, having children… Each of these brings something new and unexpected and makes you grow as an individual. But you can run through life and never reflect on how it all changed , how silly and incompetent you were just a few years ago. And how you’ll think the same thing about the present in a few years. Perhaps you should compose a reflective essay and think about all of this, and about what’s coming. Next up, you may want to explore a list of the best essays of all time .

Rafal Reyzer

Hey there, welcome to my blog! I'm a full-time entrepreneur building two companies, a digital marketer, and a content creator with 10+ years of experience. I started RafalReyzer.com to provide you with great tools and strategies you can use to become a proficient digital marketer and achieve freedom through online creativity. My site is a one-stop shop for digital marketers, and content enthusiasts who want to be independent, earn more money, and create beautiful things. Explore my journey here , and don't miss out on my AI Marketing Mastery online course.

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The benefits of team reflections and how to lead one

Have you ever wondered why dancers practice in front of a mirror? The mirror is the only way a dancer can see the quality of their movement and performance. Looking in the mirror allows the dancer to receive immediate feedback and adjust.

Whether you’re a prima ballerina or have two left feet, we could all learn a lesson from the dance studio. Your reflection tells you a whole lot about yourself and how you work. As a manager, it’s important to carry this lesson through prepared team reflections .

Why Is Reflection Important In Teamwork?

While not every discipline has the immediate feedback of a physical mirror, it’s important for everyone to find ways to reflect. Reflective practice is a conscious effort to think about the work you’ve done and develop future plans. 

Managers should set up a team reflection, post-mortem, or retrospective at set goalposts to move the team forward. By giving the team a chance to provide their input, standardize work, and put changes in place, you enable them to do their best work.

What Are The Benefits Of Reflection?

After a specific project, length of time, or a lull in productivity, a team reflection reveals what you didn’t even realize you didn’t know. You’ll be able to break down your team’s processes and identify gaps that you won’t miss next time. You’ll get the chance to highlight individuals who exceeded expectations and hear from those who otherwise stay quiet .

A team retrospective can tell you a lot about yourself as a manager, too. Have you listened to your team’s needs throughout the latest project? Were you able to provide all the resources necessary? Did team members face insurmountable obstacles? This is the chance to find out.

Emotional Intelligence

Regular reflection can impact the way someone works and interacts. Reflections build self-awareness and self-regulation, two key indicators of emotional intelligence. A person who is able to sit down and analyze their strengths and weaknesses in the workplace can carry those lessons into their personal life. And anyone used to regular reflections learns how to adapt to changing circumstances. 

Higher emotional intelligence (EQ) makes for easier decision-making and clearer communication. A high EQ is directly correlated with better conflict management , empathy, and productivity. Altogether, people who practice emotional intelligence are happier . Who wouldn’t want that for their team?

Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to reflect, and he’ll remember how you caught the fish and do it himself.

Okay, maybe that’s not how the saying goes, but the meaning still stands. Teaching your team how to reflect in a formal setting gives them the chance to do so on their own time. A reflection gives them the reassurance that they’ve done a good job and the proper amount of criticism to teach them how to do better.

So let’s say your reflection highlighted Rabi’s perfect sales report. But the team also mentioned that the sales report was delayed. Rabi gets positive feedback that her reporting is good, and next time, she’ll be able to focus less on combing through the details and instead hit that deadline. That confidence combined with a constructive lesson will carry Rabi far.

How Do You Lead A Group Reflection?

Reflective thinking should be a regular practice in your management, but the name of the game is structure. Set aside dedicated reflections that set the ground rules and encourage your team to reflect together. 

First: find a structure that works for you. Important note: while you’re the one providing this structure to the team, your role as a manager should be facilitation. Allow your team to own the conversation and give them space to reflect on their own work.

Some teams work best in a free-flowing conversation with an assigned note-taker. Others—including this writer—love to build things out in an ordered list. Here are a couple of different reflective templates that can work for you:

Pluses And Deltas

This one is big for folks who appreciate lean management. In essence, a plus/delta is a pro/con list with a more favorable structure. Your pluses (+) are the moments and tasks you believe went well and you’d like to continue with. A plus could be anything from a customer’s compliment to new software that worked well. 

Your deltas (∆) are items that need to change, whether it’s the color of a label or a financial process that took too much time. Laying these out will give you a better view of how to plan future initiatives, and lets your team manage change without feeling too harsh.

Stop/Start/Keep

Like the idea of pluses/deltas but want to add more future planning? A Stop/Start/Keep matrix allows for retrospective thinking and provides prospective opportunities. In this format, the reflection splits across things to stop doing, things to start doing, and processes to keep. 

Questions To Ask

Regardless of how you format your reflection, it’s important to ask clear and direct questions. Inspire your team to identify, describe, and analyze in every reflection.

Here’s a series of prompts for things you’d like to change:

• What’s one situation that we could have managed better?
• How did you feel in that instance?
• Describe your decision-making process.
• What caused the situation?
• What would have prevented this experience?
• What were your expectations? Were they matched?
• What would you do now to change the outcome?
• What will you do in the future to prevent this from reoccurring?

Here’s a series of questions for a huge achievement:

• What was the good thing that happened and who contributed to it?
• What resources did we need to do this?
• How can we replicate this situation?
• How did the results match your expectations?
• What goalposts did we face along our timeline?
• Outline the plan for our next iteration.

What’s Next After Reflection?

Allow room for teammates to reflect after the session is over. Encourage people to reflect on a more continuous basis. Don’t just wait for those scheduled reflections or your yearly review. Provide candid feedback when you can, at the moment—like that mirror. Timely feedback makes all the difference.

Put your reflection into practice: take those deltas and turn them into processes . Keep the pluses in mind, and start the new objectives and experiments you discussed. Even Gene Kelly danced in front of the mirror. The need for reflection never goes away.

Advice, stories, and expertise about work life today.

Reflective writing: Reflective essays

• What is reflection? Why do it?
• What does reflection involve?
• Reflective questioning
• Reflective writing for academic assessment
• Types of reflective assignments
• Differences between discursive and reflective writing
• Sources of evidence for reflective writing assignments
• Linking theory to experience
• Reflective essays
• Portfolios and learning journals, logs and diaries
• Examples of reflective writing
• Video summary
• Bibliography

On this page:

“Try making the conscious effort to reflect on the link between your experience and the theory, policies or studies you are reading” Williams et al., Reflective Writing

Writing a reflective essay

When you are asked to write a reflective essay, you should closely examine both the question and the marking criteria. This will help you to understand what you are being asked to do. Once you have examined the question you should start to plan and develop your essay by considering the following:

• What experience(s) and/or event(s) are you going to reflect on?
• How can you present these experience(s) to ensure anonymity (particularly important for anyone in medical professions)?
• How can you present the experience(s) with enough context for readers to understand?
• What learning can you identify from the experience(s)?
• What theories, models, strategies and academic literature can be used in your reflection?
• How this experience will inform your future practice

When structuring your reflection, you can present it in chronological order (start to finish) or in reverse order (finish to start). In some cases, it may be more appropriate for you to structure it around a series of flashbacks or themes, relating to relevant parts of the experience.

Example Essay Structure

This is an example structure for a reflective essay focusing on a single experience or event:

When you are writing a reflective assessment, it is important you keep your description to a minimum. This is because the description is not actually reflection and it often counts for only a small number of marks. This is not to suggest the description is not important. You must provide enough description and background for your readers to understand the context.

You need to ensure you discuss your feelings, reflections, responses, reactions, conclusions, and future learning. You should also look at positives and negatives across each aspect of your reflection and ensure you summarise any learning points for the future.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Teamwork — The Importance of Teamwork: A Path to Success

The Importance of Teamwork: a Path to Success

• Categories: Success Teamwork

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Published: Sep 7, 2023

Words: 675 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Communication: the foundation of teamwork, collaboration: harnessing collective strength, trust: the bedrock of team dynamics, respect: fostering a positive team culture, accountability: delivering on commitments.

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Teamwork Essay: Examples, Tips, & Ideas

These days, leadership and ability to work in a team are the skills that everybody should possess. It is impossible to cope with a large educational or work project alone. However, it can also be challenging to collaborate in a team. You might want to elaborate on importance and difficulties of such collaboration in your teamwork essay.

In the article, you’ll learn:

• Pros and cons of working in a team;
• Teamwork college essay prompts;
• Tips for writing your paper’s introduction, body, and conclusion;
• Ideas for writing about teamwork;
• Short teamwork essay examples for students.

Have you already decided on the main idea and an excellent way to complete your essay? If not yet, then do not waste your time and check several suggestions from our writers .

• ☝️ Pros and Cons
• 🏆 Its Importance
• 🤔 What Makes a Team?

📝 Teamwork Essay Examples

• 🔥 Essay Topics

🔗 References

☝️ writing about teamwork: pros & cons.

Considering the benefits and drawbacks of working in a group is essential for writing any paper on the topic. You have to understand what makes the issue multifaceted. In particular, if you’re going to compose the advantages and disadvantages of a teamwork essay, research on the subject is crucial.

📋 Teamwork Essay Outline

A well-crafted essay outline makes it easier to organize thoughts and stay focused while writing your essay. It also ensures that your text has a logical structure.

Keep reading to learn about different essay parts and their components.

Teamwork Essay Introduction

One effective way to engage the reader is to start your introduction with a hook . A hook is a captivating opening line or statement that can be an interesting fact , a thought-provoking question , or a powerful quote . You should also provide some background information on teamwork to give the reader context.

Here are some ideas on what to include in your teamwork essay introduction:

Thesis Statement about Teamwork

A thesis statement in an essay is a concise, arguable claim or central point that sets the tone for the entire paper. A good thesis statement is debatable , specific , and provides a clear focus for the essay. Remember that it should also be supported by evidence relevant to the topic.

Have a look at these ideas for a thesis statement about teamwork:

Teamwork Essay: Main Body

Here’s how to structure your essay’s main body:

• Each body paragraph typically begins with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea or argument of the paragraph.
• This is followed by evidence , such as quotes, statistics, or examples, which support the topic sentence.
• After presenting the evidence, you should provide an analysis by explaining how the evidence supports the thesis statement.
• A paragraph should end with a sentence that summarizes it and transitions to the next paragraph.

For more information about writing the main body, check out our 5-paragraph essay guide and the essay length guide .

Teamwork Essay Conclusion

At the conclusion of an essay, you should restate your thesis statement and summarize the essay’s ideas. It’s also essential to leave the reader with a lasting impression by offering a thought-provoking insight, a call to action, or a suggestion to explore the topic further.

Consider these ideas for a teamwork essay conclusion:

🖊️ Teamwork College Essay: How to Write

If you’ve been assigned to write an essay on teamwork, there are some of the most common approaches you can use. So, when thinking about essay topics, take a look at these. In the following sections, we will break them down separately.

Besides, you can see some points explored in detail in teamwork essay examples.

🏆 The Importance of Teamwork

You may have to elaborate on teamwork in a college essay, though it may concern its different types. Dealing with tasks in groups can be an option both in educational institutions and workplaces. We’ll look at them separately in the following sections.

See how to write an essay about the importance of teamwork here.

Teamwork in School and College

You can introduce various points while explaining the importance of teamwork in an essay when it concerns educational institutions.

• It helps learn essential social skills. Working in a team can teach you necessary social skills, such as listening and speaking. You’ll have to act cohesively to get anything done. Additionally, teamwork experience will make you learn how to communicate information to others effectively.
• It enhances self-confidence . Teamwork in school and college teaches individuals that their voices are heard and valued. That helps people improve their self-esteem and enhance the working process.
• It diminishes bullying . Improved self-confidence will help a student to rise above the bully. Moreover, team members are more willing to support each other than other classmates. Discussing it in a student teamwork essay can be quite profound.
• It establishes the ground for student’s success in the future. Effective teamwork may contribute to breakthroughs outside the classroom. An early introduction to such experiences creates more opportunities for people to be productive and satisfied as a part of the group. When looking between teamwork and individual work experience, hiring companies value the former more.

Teamwork in the Workplace

You may be assigned to write an essay on teamwork in the workplace and its importance. In that case, you should consider the following arguments:

• Teamwork is crucial for the project’s success. The ability to work within a group increases your chance of getting and keeping the job. Moreover, the capacity to cooperate with colleagues can help you achieve better results. That’s the reason why companies have team-building activities. They can help improve the teamwork in the workplace and thus improve effectiveness.
• Teamwork is critical for personal growth. Working with different people in one group can enhance the personal strengths of each person. For instance, the team’s cultural diversity can help you learn how to communicate with people from different backgrounds. You can see this argument explored in various teamwork essay examples.

🤔 Writing about Teamwork: What Makes a Good Team?

For some reason, you need to compose a paper on creating or managing a team. Describe the whole process in your essay about teamwork. The main question you should answer is, “What makes a good team?”

To do that, discuss the following points in your paper:

• primary goals and purposes of your team;
• members of the team and duties of each member;
• a leader of your team;
• ways of achieving good relations and agreement between all members of the group.

The overall success of a team depends on each particular member. So, what a team member should be like? It is another good question to answer in essays about teamwork.

You may consider the following characteristics of a team member:

• an ability to meet the deadlines;
• an ability to adapt to changes quickly;
• good communication and diplomatic skills;
• optimism and a positive attitude, etc.

Explain the importance of each trait in your essay on teamwork. Add other personal features that you believe are significant.

Looking for some teamwork essay examples? Find a collection of links below! You are welcome to use these samples for inspiration. We ho hope that you will write an A+ paper!

• Mattel’s Workforce Strategy: Fostering of Teamwork
• Cultural Diversity in Teamwork: Research Process
• Teamworking Skills in Healthcare
• Teamwork During Product Design and Launch Process
• Diversity in the Workplace, Teamwork and Leadership
• Teamwork Organization and Experiences
• Team Communication’s Importance for Successful Teamwork
• Trader Joe’s Stores’ Teamwork and Motivation
• Apple Company’s Teamwork Benefits
• Management: Effective Teamwork Role for Organizations Performance

Short Essay on Teamwork: Example

For your inspiration, we have prepared a short example of a teamwork essay. Check it out to gain ideas on how to effectively structure your paper.

Teamwork essay introduction

Over the last few decades, effective teamwork has become a key factor in business success. Companies hire diverse employees with unique skills to work together toward a common goal. The synergy created by such teamwork can lead to amazing achievements.

Thesis statement about teamwork

Effective teamwork helps achieve organizational goals by fostering collaboration and enhancing productivity.

Teamwork’s first advantage is improved collaboration among team members. When people with different perspectives work together, they can use their collective knowledge to address challenges, make better decisions, and come up with innovative ideas. For example, research and development teams have scientists and engineers collaborate and develop new technologies. Important inventions and breakthroughs can only be possible with their combined efforts.

Teamwork also enhances productivity by combining the team members’ strengths. Teams can optimize their performance and achieve better results when they assign tasks based on each member’s skills. For instance, in a marketing team, one member may excel in creative design while another is skilled in data analysis. The team can combine their skills to create memorable campaigns that resonate with their audience.

Teamwork essay conclusion

Teamwork is crucial for organizational success because it promotes collaboration and enhances productivity. Only by working together can companies overcome challenges and achieve their strategic goals.

🔥 Teamwork Essay Topics

• Importance of teamwork for medical social workers.
• Describe the cooperation challenges of teamwork.
• Examine the relation between the effectiveness of the teams and the performance of the organization.
• Analyze what challenges the leader of a change team meets.
• Essential role of interprofessional team development in healthcare.
• Explain who are leaders from behind and how they affect the teamwork.
• Describe the key elements of positive teamwork.
• Is teamwork more productive than individual work?
• How to achieve successful collaboration and teamwork within a unit.
• The advantages of military mindset for business team.
• Discuss how different leadership styles affect teams.
• Describe your experience of group work .
• The importance of successful managing of team members’ capabilities.
• Why it is essential to learn the teamwork from the childhood.
• Lessons of the Marshmallow Challenge as a model of teamwork.
• Explain why collaboration is the essence of teamwork.
• How to avoid social loafing in teamwork.
• Analyze the methods of managing the team resources.
• Discuss the pros and cons of team-based approach.
• The crucial role of emotional intelligence in successful teamwork.
• Appraisal system and its impact on team performance.
• What are the stages of team development ?
• Is it difficult to build trust between team members?
• How to create an effective team.
• Describe the most effective strategies for virtual team communication.
• The role of strategy in team development.
• The main aspects of effective teamwork.
• Explain the difference between a work group and a team .
• The essential role of cultural literacy for managing a global team.
• Analyze how proper motivation affects the team performance.
• Is psychology important for formation of a sports team?
• Discuss the principal elements of group management.
• Transitional leadership and its importance for teamwork.
• Describe the ways to improve teamwork within an organization.
• Examine the mutual impact of team members on each other.
• How properly managed conflict can help a team develop and improve.
• Discuss whether team building is important in nursing.
• Teamwork and successful collaboration in healthcare .
• Explain what personal qualities will make working in a team comfortable.
• What tools and strategies can help managing a remote team?
• Analyze the advantage of diverse teams for a company.
• Can building of an effective team improve quality of healthcare?
• The difficulties of working in a virtual team.
• Role of a nurse team in caring for patients with breast cancer.
• The challenges of decision making in project teams.
• The crucial role of good leadership for team performance.
• Effective interprofessional communication and its importance for a healthcare team.
• Analyze the effect diversity has on global sales team.
• Explain the meaning of a performance-driven team.
• Describe advantages and disadvantages of team decision making.

Thank you for reading this article! We hope that this information was useful for you. If so, leave the comments and share this article with your friends.

This might be interesting for you:

• How to Write an Impressive Discursive Essay: Tips to Succeed
• Friendship Essay: Writing Guide & Topic Ideas about Friendship
• Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Tips and Examples
• Transportation Essay: Writing Tips and Brilliant Topics
• 4 Reasons Teamwork is Important in the Workplace: Career Training, YTI Career Institute
• Teamwork, Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Succes: Skills to Pay the Bills, U.S. Department of Labor
• Essay Structure: Elizabeth Abrams, for the Writing Center at Harvard University
• The Basics of Essay Writing: UNSW Current Students, UNSW Sydney
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Please, give me a teamwork short essay.

Hi! Just wanted to thank you for these excellent ideas for my essay on teamwork. I’ll use them in my writing!

It’s nice to think that there are people who want to help you with your academic writing problems! Want to thank every writer who creates these fantastic posts! You always help me with my papers, and this time with an essay on teamwork.

How to Write a Reflective Essay?

07 August, 2020

17 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

A reflective essay is a personal perspective on an issue or topic. This article will look at how to write an excellent reflexive account of your experience, provide you with reflexive essay framework to help you plan and organize your essay and give you a good grounding of what good reflective writing looks like.

What is a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay requires the writer to examine his experiences and explore how these experiences have helped him develop and shaped him as a person.  It is essentially an analysis of your own experience focusing on what you’ve learned.

Don’t confuse reflexive analysis with the rhetorical one. If you need assistance figuring out how to write a rhetorical analysis , give our guide a read!

Based on the reflective essay definition, this paper will follow a logical and thought-through plan . It will be a discussion that centers around a topic or issue. The essay should strive to achieve a balance between description and personal feelings.

It requires a clear line of thought, evidence, and examples to help you discuss your reflections. Moreover, a proper paper requires an analytical approach . There are three main types of a reflective essay: theory-based, a case study or an essay based on one’s personal experience.

Unlike most academic forms of writing, this writing is based on personal experiences and thoughts. As such, first-person writing position where the writer can refer to his own thoughts and feelings is essential. If the writer talks about psychology or medicine, it is best to use the first-person reference as little as possible to keep the tone objective and science-backed.

To write this paper, you need to recollect and share personal experience . However, there is still a chance that you’ll be asked to talk about a more complex topic.

By the way, if you are looking for good ideas on how to choose a good argumentative essay topic , check out our latest guide to help you out!

The Criteria for a Good Reflective Essay

The convention of an academic reflective essay writing will vary slightly depending on your area of study. A good reflective essay will be written geared towards its intended audience. These are the general criteria that form the core of a well-written piece:

• A developed perspective and line of reasoning on the subject.
• A well-informed discussion that is based on literature and sources relevant to your reflection.
• An understanding of the complex nuance of situations and the tributary effects that prevent them from being simple and clear-cut.
• Ability to stand back and analyze your own decision-making process to see if there is a better solution to the problem.
• A clear understanding of h ow the experience has influenced you.
• A good understanding of the principles and theories of your subject area.
• Ability to frame a problem before implementing a solution.

These seven criteria form the principles of writing an excellent reflective essay.

Still need help with your essay? Handmade Writing is here to assist you!

What is the Purpose of Writing a Reflective Essay?

The purpose of a reflective essay is for a writer to reflect upon experience and learn from it . Reflection is a useful process that helps you make sense of things and gain valuable lessons from your experience. Reflective essay writing allows you to demonstrate that you can think critically about your own skills or practice strategies implementations to learn and improve without outside guidance.

Another purpose is to analyze the event or topic you are describing and emphasize how you’ll apply what you’ve learned.

How to Create a Reflective Essay Outline

• Analyze the task you’ve received
• Read through and understand the marking criteria
• Keep a reflective journal during the experience
• Use a reflective framework (Schon, Driscoll, Gibbs, and Kolb) to help you analyze the experience
• Create a referencing system to keep institutions and people anonymous to avoid breaking their confidentiality
• Set the scene by using the five W’s (What, Where, When, Who and Why) to describe it
• Choose the events or the experiences you’re going to reflect on
• Identify the issues of the event or experience you want to focus on
• Use literature and documents to help you discuss these issues in a wider context
• Reflect on how these issues changed your position regarding the issue
• Compare and contrast theory with practice
• Identify and discuss your learning needs both professionally and personally

Don’t forget to adjust the formatting of your essay. There are four main format styles of any academic piece. Discover all of them from our essay format guide!

Related Posts: Essay outline | Essay format Guide

Using Reflective Frameworks

A good way to develop a reflective essay plan is by using a framework that exists. A framework will let help you break the experience down logical and make the answer easier to organize. Popular frameworks include: Schon’s (1983) Reflection in action and reflection on action .

Schon wrote ‘The Reflective Practitioner’ in 1983 in which he describes reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action as tools for learning how to meet challenges that do not conform to formulas learned in school through improvisation.  He mentioned two types of reflection : one during and one after. By being aware of these processes while on a work-experience trail or clinical assignment you have to write a reflective account for, you get to understand the process better. So good questions to ask in a reflective journal could be:

<td “200”>Reflection-pre-action <td “200”>Reflection-in-action <td “200”>Reflection-on-Action<td “200”>What might happen? <td “200”>What is happening in the situation? <td “200”>What were your insights after?<td “200”>What possible challenges will you face? <td “200”>Is it working out as you expected? <td “200”>How did it go in retrospect?<td “200”>How will you prepare for the situation? <td “200”>What are the challenges you are dealing with? <td “200”>What did you value and why?<td “200”>  <td “200”>What can you do to make the experience a successful one? <td “200”>What would you do differently before or during a similar situation?<td “200”>  <td “200”>What are you learning? <td “200”>What have you learned?

This will give you a good frame for your paper and help you analyze your experience.

Kolb’s (1984) Learning Cycle

Kolb’s reflective framework works in four stages:

• Concrete experience. This is an event or experience
• Reflective observation. This is reflecting upon the experience. What you did and why.
• Abstract conceptualization. This is the process of drawing conclusions from the experience. Did it confirm a theory or falsify something? And if so, what can you conclude from that?
• Active experimentation. Planning and trying out the thing you have learned from this interaction.

Gibb’s (1988) Reflection Cycle

Gibbs model is an extension of Kolb’s. Gibb’s reflection cycle is a popular model used in reflective writing. There are six stages in the cycle.

• Description. What happened? Describe the experience you are reflecting on and who is involved.
• Feelings. What were you thinking and feeling at the time? What were your thoughts and feelings afterward?
• Evaluation. What was good and bad about the experience? How did you react to the situation? How did other people react? Was the situation resolved? Why and how was it resolved or why wasn’t it resolved? Could the resolution have been better?
• Analysis. What sense can you make of the situation? What helped or hindered during the event? How does this compare to the literature on the subject?
• Conclusion. What else could you have done? What have you learned from the experience? Could you have responded differently? How would improve or repeat success? How can you avoid failure?
• Action plan. If it arose again what would you do? How can you better prepare yourself for next time?

Driscoll’s Method (1994) and Rolfe et al (2001) Reflexive Learning

The Driscoll Method break the process down into three questions. What (Description), So What (Analysis) and Now What (Proposed action). Rolf et al 2001 extended the model further by giving more in-depth and reflexive questions.

• What is the problem/ difficulty/reason for being stuck/reason for feeling bad?
• What was my role in the situation?
• What was I trying to achieve?
• What actions did I take?
• What was the response of others?
• What were the consequences for the patient / for myself / for others?
• What feeling did it evoke in the patient / in myself / in others?
• What was good and bad about the experience?
• So, what were your feelings at the time?
• So, what are your feelings now? Are there any differences? Why?
• So, what were the effects of what you did or did not do?
• So, what good emerged from the situation for yourself and others? Does anything trouble you about the experience or event?
• So, what were your experiences like in comparison to colleagues, patients, visitors, and others?
• So, what are the main reasons for feeling differently from your colleagues?
• Now, what are the implications for you, your colleagues and the patients?
• Now, what needs to happen to alter the situation?
• Now, what are you going to do about the situation?
• Now, what happens if you decide not to alter anything?
• Now, what will you do differently if faced with a similar situation?
• Now, what information would you need to deal with the situation again?
• Now, what methods would you use to go about getting that information?

This model is mostly used for clinical experiences in degrees related to medicine such as nursing or genetic counseling. It helps to get students comfortable thinking over each experience and adapting to situations.

This is just a selection of basic models of this type of writing. And there are more in-depth models out there if you’re writing a very advanced reflective essay. These models are good for beginner level essays. Each model has its strengths and weaknesses. So, it is best to use one that allows you to answer the set question fully.

This written piece can follow many different structures depending on the subject area . So, check your assignment to make sure you don’t have a specifically assigned structural breakdown. For example, an essay that follows Gibbs plan directly with six labeled paragraphs is typical in nursing assignments. A more typical piece will follow a standard structure of an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Now, let’s look into details on how to craft each of these essay parts.

How to Write an Introduction?

There are several good ways to start a reflective essay . Remember that an introduction to a reflective essay differs depending on upon what kind of reflection is involved. A science-based introduction should be brief and direct introducing the issue you plan on discussing and its context.

Related post: How to write an Essay Introduction

For example, a nursing student might want to discuss the overreliance on medical journals in the industry and why peer-reviewed journals led to mistaken information. In this case, one good way how to start a reflective essay introduction is by introducing a thesis statement. Help the reader see the real value of your work.

Do you need help with your thesis statement? Take a look at our recent guide explaining what is a thesis statement .

Let’s look at some reflective essay examples.

‘During my first month working at Hospital X, I became aware just how many doctors treated peer-views journal articles as a gospel act. This is a dangerous practice that because of (a), (b) and (c) could impact patients negatively.’

The reflective essay on English class would begin differently. In fact, it should be more personal and sound less bookish .

How to Write the Main Body Paragraphs?

The main body of the essay should focus on specific examples of the issue in question. A short description should be used for the opener. Each paragraph of this piece should begin with an argument supporting the thesis statement.

The most part of each paragraph should be a reflexive analysis of the situation and evaluation . Each paragraph should end with a concluding sentence that caps the argument. In a science-based essay, it is important to use theories, other studies from journals and source-based material to argue and support your position in an objective manner.

How to Write the Conclusion?

A conclusion should provide a summary of the issues explored, remind the reader of the purpose of the essay and suggest an appropriate course of action in relation to the needs identified in the body of the essay.

This is mostly an action plan for the future. However, if appropriate a writer can call readers to action or ask questions. Make sure that the conclusion is powerful enough for readers to remember it. In most cases, an introduction and a conclusion is the only thing your audience will remember.

Reflective Essay Topics

Here are some good topics for a reflective essay. We’ve decided to categorize them to help you find good titles for reflective essays that fit your requirement.

Medicine-related topics:

• Write a reflective essay on leadership in nursing
• How did a disease of your loved ones (or your own) change you?
• Write a reflection essay on infection control
• How dealing with peer-reviewed journals interrupts medical procedures?
• Write a reflection essay about community service
• Write a reflective essay on leadership and management in nursing

Topics on teamwork:

• Write a reflective essay on the group presentation
• What makes you a good team player and what stays in the way of improvement?
• Write a reflective essay on the presentation
• Write about the last lesson you learned from working in a team
• A reflective essay on career development: How teamwork can help you succeed in your career?

Topics on personal experiences:

• Write a reflective essay on the pursuit of happiness: what it means to you and how you’re pursuing it?
• Write a reflective essay on human sexuality: it is overrated today? And are you a victim of stereotypes in this area?
• Write a reflective essay on growing up
• Reflective essay on death: How did losing a loved one change your world?
• Write a reflective essay about a choice you regret
• Write a reflective essay on the counseling session

Academic topics:

• A reflective essay on the writing process: How does writing help you process your emotions and learn from experiences?
• Write a reflective essay on language learning: How learning a new language changes your worldview
• A reflective essay about a choice I regret

Related Posts: Research Paper topics | Compare&Contrast Essay topics

Reflective Essay Example

Tips on writing a good reflective essay.

Some good general tips include the following:

As long as you use tips by HandMade Writing, you’ll end up having a great piece. Just stick to our recommendations. And should you need the help of a pro essay writer service, remember that we’re here to help!

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An Analysis of the Experience of Teamwork Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Description, action plan, reference list.

This paper deals with assignment 4 we have completed and its evaluation. To analyze any event, it is helpful to use Gibbs’s reflective cycle (Jasper 2003). This framework helps focus on the major aspects of any event and project. Thus, I will provide a brief description of the work. I will reveal my feelings and evaluate the teamwork and my work within the team. The paper includes an analysis of the work and I will draw some conclusions.

I will develop a specific personal action plan to develop certain skills which will help me in my future career. In this paper, I will reflect on the experience of teamwork and the way it affected me. This paper also includes a description of certain challenges our team had to face. Finally, I will also speculate on the way teamwork affected my attitude towards accreditation.

For this assignment, the class was divided into groups. I was in group three with four other students. We had three meetings where we dealt with crucial issues. The first meeting was an introductory meeting and the members of our team introduced themselves. Admittedly, learning more about each member of the team is essential for efficient work (Belbin 1982). It turned out that the members of our team were involved in different fields related to healthcare.

The second meeting was devoted to discussion of the subject and sharing ideas. Each member of the group made a presentation on the matter. The last meeting was devoted to planning. Admittedly, any team must have specific goals and a concise plan to reach the goals (Covey 1994). It is also crucial to distribute roles among the team members (Berkun 2005). Thus, we distributed roles and chose the leader of the group. We also worked out our schedule. We decided to use online sessions for further meetings and updates on the project.

I had never worked in a team, so I was worried about the project. I did not know what to do and I had doubts concerning the effectiveness of our team’s work. I was also worried as I was not sure that I could be an effective member of the team for I had not had any experience in accreditation. It was a great relief for me to find out that one member of our team had some experience in accreditation. It was quite stressful to find out that the team members had opposing views on the matter as some were strongly against accreditation while others supported this idea. Eventually, we managed to come to a single conclusion and set deadlines. However, I was really upset when I read the first draft after we had joined all the parts. The parts were written by different people who had different styles. It was challenging to make the paper a complete whole.

Though it was quite challenging, I find this experience beneficial for me as I have learned a lot about working in a team. Now, I can listen to myself and self-develop, which is the most important for a person (Butler 1981). Experiential learning is seen as one of the most effective ways to gain experience (Kolb 1984). I agree with this now as I learned a lot while working in a team. I know how to exchange ideas and collaborate with people of different personality types.

The work was efficient as each member of the group contributed equally to the success of the entire group. Some members helped organize ideas and others helped manage time, etc. As for the most serious challenges, we had certain problems with the process of decision-making. I believe the team spent too much time planning and discussing things, which is ineffective and can jeopardize the project (Arden 2003). It was also difficult for me to accept other people’s views. Nevertheless, I am sure that teamwork needs to be able to find compromises or even accept others’ viewpoints.

It was rather difficult to work out a unified point of view on the matter as members of the team had different opinions. Moreover, the members of the team had quite different personality types. It is essential to understand a personality type of a partner as it helps predict his/her behavior and reactions (Rollinson 2008). At the same time, Brain (2002) states that a team where members have different personality types can be also beneficial. I agree with that as I witnessed the benefits of collaboration with people of different personality types. Thus, extroverts in our team helped come to an agreement and effectively share ideas, while introverts helped create the schedule and accumulate data.

In general, this was a beneficial experience for me as I met new people with different backgrounds and personality types. I also learned to collaborate with them efficiently. I will be able to employ this experience in the future. I understand that people differ in terms of their personality types. While working in the team, I changed my attitude towards accreditation. Now, I know that it is difficult to introduce accreditation to any organization. On top of that, it is essential to work out the culture of the organization and train teamwork before introducing accreditation to this organization.

As has been mentioned above, I learned a lot. Nonetheless, I also need to work on my communication skills. Covey (1989) notes that it is essential to be able to listen correctly and react properly. I have to learn to listen carefully. I should also learn to make sure I understand everything clearly. I have to learn how to make the right questions to avoid any misunderstanding and extract the information I need. It can be also helpful for me to learn how to articulate ideas properly to be able to support my opinion. Therefore, I will have to improve my skills to work within a team effectively.

Arden, P 2003, It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be , Phaidon, New York.

Belbin, M 1982, Management teams why the succeed or fail , Butterworth-Heinemann, London.

Berkun, S 2005, The art of project management , O’Reilly Media Inc., Sebastopol, CA.

Brain, C 2002, Advanced psychology: applications, issues and perspectives , Nelson Thornes, London.

Butler, PE 1981, Talking to yourself: learning the language of self-support , Harper and Row, San Francisco.

Covey, S 1989, The seven habits of highly effective people – powerful lessons in personal change , Simon & Schuster, New York.

Covey, S 1994, First things first, Simon & Schuster, New York.

Jasper, M 2003, Beginning reflective practice , Nelson Thornes, London.

Kolb, D 1984, Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development , FT Press, London.

Rollinson, D 2008, Organisational behaviour and analysis: an integrated approach , Pearson Education, Essex.

• The Principles of Insurance
• Operation Management: Buckeye Manufacturing
• Accreditation to Improve Public Health Capacity and Services
• Accreditation Standards and Business Excellence
• Accreditation of Public Healthcare: Promoting Quality and Performance of Health Departments
• Compensation, Methods, Inventories and Controls: Searching for an Optimum Solution
• Principles of Conflict Resolution
• Library Referencing System View
• Establishing the Security Audit
• How Do Managers Use Situational Information?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, April 8). An Analysis of the Experience of Teamwork. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-analysis-of-the-experience-of-teamwork/

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Reflective Essay on Teamwork

A reflective essay is a kind of educational work, in which a scholar is requisite to go through a particular familiarity, read a certain book, etc., and then explain their view about it in a written form. Reflection essays generally are rather personal and subjective. Nonetheless, they must maintain a fairly academic feel to them and should be cohesively organized if you desire to write a reflective paperbound to get an A+.

Many students find it hard to write a good research and high-quality teamwork reflection essay thus we at students assignment help is here to help these students with our reflective essay teamwork Assignment Help Services at an affordable price. We have a huge team of helpers who can handle all kinds of writing including research papers, dissertations, thesis, and more. If you are also looking for any kind of writing for your colleges and university you can approach our homework makers for the same.

Have you ever heard of the word epiphany? For those who haven’t, it is that moment of your life which change the direction of your entire life. In other words, we can say that the moment has great pressure on your future upcoming life events. This moment could be related to anything like unexpectedly you see a saint and realize the vanity of being materialistic, or you come across a gadget that develops your interest in technology.

So when you are citing these extraordinary life-changing moments in your writings within a proper format, they become reflective essays. People take a great interest in reading them for their motivational & entertaining elements. Get a self-reflection essay on group work examples available on our official website.

How to Write Reflective Essay on Teamwork

What should keep in mind while writing it, know about reflective essay outline format, how to start a reflective essay introduction, how a reflective essay differ from literary, reflective essay examples.

• Where to Get The Help for Writing Reflective Essay

Example of Reflective Essay

• Analysis of Interpersonal Dynamics in the Group

Analysis of Performance of Group Doing The Preparation of Presentation

Analysis of the success or failure of the group processes.

Here are a few tips and tricks provided by our teamwork reflection essay makers. Though the arena of writing a reflective essay seems extremely luring to everybody, it is not simple to unearth that moment of your life. For an excellent reflective Essay Topic, one needs to undergo brainstorming to find the epiphany moment of one’s life.

So if you are also to write the one, just calm your mind and start recalling all those moments which have a huge significance in your life. This might be probable that you end up creating a big list. Now you have to sift out the one among the list which has influenced your journey of life strongly. Now using these facts and figures you can write a reflective essay about life easily.

You can also choose reflective essay writing services to write better papers for your colleges. At SAH we provide a better step by step guide for the students to write their high-quality reflective essays on group work papers.

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It is very necessary to define every single incidence in a flow, so that reader’s interest could be maintained. Always keep the following things in mind while writing a reflective essay:

• It is very crucial to jot down the entire incidence in a sequence and then to narrate their significance in influencing your life to start with an excellent reflective essay introduction.
• Do not mess up your teamwork reflection essay by citing it in a haphazard way. It not only gives a clumsy look to it but at the same time is liable to lose the interest of readers.
• Constantly keep your target readers in your mind, how they are going to get benefit from it, give them a reason to read your essay.
• Do not use puzzling and baffling language, for example, using a double meaning pun and hard vocabulary. The should be easy to read for everyone.

For a reflective essay outline, there is always a format in each essay that includes an introduction, body and conclusion. Similar is the case here. You have to introduce your readers to which epiphany moment you are going to talk about the essay and how it affected your life.

In the major essay or the body, you are supposed to recite the entire journey with every minor detail. Eventually, the conclusion will tell the reader that what would be the effect of your epiphany moment in the future, whether it has created negative consequences in your life or positive. This is how the format of a reflective essay is supposed to be.

Types of Reflective Essay: Depending on the fact, whether you are writing them for a general-purpose to entertain your readers or for commercial and other purposes they could be of many types. Many students pursuing their higher studies like master and doctorate are asked to write reflective essays in order to develop their self-analyzing skills.

These reflection essays on writing are known as academic reflective essays. Some of them are also written in order to be published in the magazine for commercial purposes. Many a time the content of commercial reflective essays are modified in order to make them more interesting to readers so that the popularity of the brand increases.

Reflective Essay Topics: There is no limit to the topics in the case of a reflective essay. They could be as diverse as one’s imagination goes. The reason behind this is, every person has a different background and his experiences of life are grounded on that background. That is why students are asked to find a reflective essay on teamwork topics for themselves. It is not that easy task for many students to find out a suitable topic on their own without any external help.

A well known blooming brand StudentsAssignmentHelp.com is rigorously providing help with writing a reflective essay for universities to such students in finding a suitable topic for them. Where a list of all suggest topics are provided to students and they can take the help out of it.

Here I want to ask you a question, how do you find a book best for you in the bookstore before buying it? Definitely, the answer is the same for everyone that is the title of the book. As the title of the book force you to buy it, similarly, the introduction of your essay is going to decide the future of the rest of the essay.

An interesting catchy introduction that holds the interest of readers and develops a curiosity about the topic should be there. You can start your essay by asking some questions from your readers like what if the same would have happened to them. Ask them how they were going to react in similar situations as yours. This will increase the relevance of your essay to the readers.

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Have a look at the table to know the difference between reflective and literary essays at a glance. It would be helpful for you to have a depth understanding of the topic.

The above table cites the major difference between a reflective essay and a literary essay. Those who are having a taste for literature are very keen to read literally essays. It is not the job of the common man to read these essays as they have tough languages which are hard to understand. On the other hand, if we talk about a reflective essay most of the readers find them interesting because of their motivational stuff and simple language.

Like I mentioned above the arena of the group work reflection essay has a diverse range of examples. It could be about your last trip which has proved out to be life-changing, or you can also write about the moment you start earning. Anything under the sun is that your medical surgery, the death of your dear friend or family member, your marriage or another incidence could be the samples of a reflective essay.

The thing is that you have to think and think for times in order to know that moment of your life. You are not alone in doing so because the team of studentassignmenthelp.com is always there with you. We provide a list of suggested topics that can use as a reference. From us, you can get reflective essay examples about life, and many others.

Where to Get The Help for Writing  Reflective Essay

So if you have just taken admission to the university and asked to write a reflection on a group work essay , just go through this article. Understand the meaning of it and other facts related to it. In case you are still not able to find a suitable direction that how to start it.

Our team of studentassignmenthelp.com is always there to help you. You can visit our website anytime and get reflective essay samples from us. Tell us about your requirement, what type of essay you are expected to write by your professors.

We will help you with your project before the deadline. Our team is comprised of professors having vast experience in different forms of writing. All your requirements will be fulfilled by us. Just open the website to let us help you with your worries.

Many students are taking our help to write their thesis, Dissertations, assignments, reflective essays, critical literary essays and much more. We provide our reflection essay sample summary services round the clock all seven days a week.

So if you are also one of those who are looking for plagiarism free stuff at a genuine price. You are in the right place. Fill your requirement in the table given on our website and order our reflective essay on group work   help now. Also don’t forget to mention your deadline, so that we can deliver our Reflective Essay Assignment Help to you at the time. Of course, we understand the importance of deadlines in every sphere of life.

Purpose of Essay:  The purpose of this reflective essay is to focus on the issues which were faced by the members of the team for the successful completion of the assignment. Singapore Students who are looking to write essays in an effective manner or custom essay writing can refer to this sample essay written by the experts from StudentsAssignmentHelp.com.

The work is a sample piece that students can refer to and can take as a reference for writing any reflective essay. The reflective essay on teamwork assignment  has been written by experienced essay writing experts having years of experience in essay writing and offering assignment writing help.

There are various types of essay assignment writings given to students in their university. we have professional essay writers who will help you with every kind of academic writings. For MBA students essay writing is a difficult task. Hence to make their MBA Assignments an easy task and complete them with perfection, we are here to support you.

Introduction: In the present scenario, teamwork is considered to be an effective approach for the achievement of the goals and objectives in an effective manner. Teamwork is effective for enhancing the performance, cohesiveness in the group and maintaining a proper culture. Proper delegation of responsibility and the development of a proper plan for the completion of a goal is the major objective of a team (Hughes, & Jones, 2013).

In this context, a group work reflection essay  has been developed which is aimed to describe my experience when I was working in a team of 5 members for the development of a presentation. A reflective essay is considered as an essay that is used to describe the experience of an individual in a particular situation or while working on a particular project or assignment.

The purpose of this group work reflection essay writing is to focus on the issues which were faced by the members of the team for the successful completion of the assignment. This reflective essay focuses on linking my personal experience while working in the group with the review of the literature.

In addition to this, analysis of interpersonal dynamics in the group, analysis of the performance of the individuals in the group has been done. Along with this, analysis related to the success or failure of the group in the presentation has been done and the conclusion of the teamwork reflection essay   has been done at the end.

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Analysis of interpersonal dynamics in  the group.

The group which was formed for the presentation and random and all the five members (A, B, C, D and E) were from different cultures and thus there was a great diversity among the members in the group.

This diversity has also resulted in the difference in the ethical values related to the work, effective communication, sense of responsibility and many more. Our group faced all these challenges and because of these differences, two of our group members did not show any responsibility on the day of the first meeting with the tutor.

Our two members (B and C) did not present themselves on the day of the first meeting as they were busy with other jobs or other personal engagements. The topic of our presentation was very vast and it was not possible to cover all the topics in a presentation, so it was important to discuss with the tutor.

After the discussion, all three of us have started working on the presentation. On the next week, B and C came to us and we made them clear all the things that were discussed with the tutor. After the discussion with the tutor, three of us have started to work on the presentation without consulting with B and C and this made them aggressive.

At the initial stage of preparing the presentation, our group faced challenges related to the ineffectiveness in communication or miscommunication and diversity among all the group members. The review of the literature also supports that the diversity in the group creates problems that need to be overcome for the accomplishment of the objective of the group in an effective manner (Shore, et al, 2011).

Similarly, diversity in a team affects proper interaction among the team members which ultimately affects the performance of all the individuals in the team. In addition to this, diversity is also effective as individuals from different cultures have different views which can contribute to increasing the efficiency of the task which is needed to be completed (Leonard, Graham, & Bonacum, 2004). For overcoming the issue related to diversity, all the individuals in the group should feel them as an important part of the group.

In the same manner, according to the research, communication needs to be very effective among all the members of the team otherwise there will be a deviation from the objective that is needed to be achieved. In addition to this, proper communication in the team is effective for enhancing productivity (Waller, Gupta & Giambatista, 2004).

There was no proper communication among all the group members as B and C did not present on the first day of the meeting and did not try to make contact with the other three team members regarding the discussion with the tutor. In the support of this issue, the review of literature also explains that proper communication helps in explaining the objectives to be achieved in an effective manner and it shows the leadership quality of an individual. Similarly, effective communication motivates the members of the team to work effectively for the attainment of the goal (Brewer and Holmes, 2009). Proper communication helps in the management of the team and also ensures the excellent quality of the work which is done by the team members (Garbee, et al, 2013).

At the initial stage of initiating the preparation of the presentation, my all group members faced various challenges related to the inefficiency in communication among all the group members and diversity as the group was formed randomly and all the members were from different cultures. My team was the first to present the presentation, so we had to focus on the proper management of time to complete the work on time.

We had to submit the slides of our presentation on week 4 and there was much more to do for preparing an effective and knowledgeable presentation. Both B and C were not contributing to the presentation and they use to make excuses in every meeting. I and the other two members of the team (A and D) have distributed the work and started focusing on preparing the slides.

At the end of the 3rd week, C started to show his interest in the presentation and was present in all the discussions but still in the last weeks, B did not appear and did not contribute anything in the preparation of the presentation. We all decided not to include the name of B in the presentation and submitted the presentation without including his name.

After the submission of the presentation, B came to the class and complained to the tutor that he was not included in any meeting and the work was not done according to the decided plan. C also started to support B and this created conflict among our group members.

Our USA essay helpers have assisted us in resolving our conflict by providing cheap teamwork reflection essay help . The review of literature also supports that the resolution of conflict in the group is important for gaining cooperation from all the group members (Dovidio, Saguy and Shnabel, 2009). Grievances among the group members result in conflicts that hamper the performance of the individuals (Weidmann, 2009).

My group has faced various challenges from the initial stage but at the end of the day of the presentation, we were succeeded in delivering the presentation in an effective manner. According to my experience, we all were successful in giving our best because of the contribution of all the team members. My team has faced some challenges because we all were lacking in the skills for the management of a team.

The members of my group could have worked more effectively if the support from B and C could have been received from the first day of the presentation preparation. Along with this, proper management of the conflict results in the attainment of the objective of the group. According to the literature review, conflict is a situation that cannot be separated from the nature of the individuals.

It is, therefore, very important and crucial for a team to manage the diversity in the team for avoiding the situation of any kind of conflict (Lee, 2008). The author has also explained that while working in a team, conflict is a situation that should be avoided in any case. The literature has also supported that there is a difference between the efficiency of the work when it is performed by an individual and by a team. There is great efficiency when is work is accomplished in a team.

In this group presentation, the members of the team were supposed to work for many weeks together for preparing the presentation, so, there is a need of developing trust among all the group members and all the team members should do justification with their assigned duties otherwise the work cannot be done successfully (DeChurch & Mesmer-Magnus, 2010).

At every workplace, teamwork is an effective approach for the completion of the work in an effective manner and along with this, it enhances the performance of all the members of the team. In my group, all the members have performed in an effective manner and we were able to deliver the best presentation on the final day.

The challenges related to the diversity in culture, ethical values, proper communication, conflicts need to be avoided and resolved for maintaining cohesiveness in the team and to achieve cooperation from all the team members. Proper resolution of conflict and effective communication has resulted in the success of our group and in the end, we were successful in getting support from all the team members.

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