1. Kelso High School English Department
Higher English Writing Folios

2. Reflective Essays On the surface may seem an easier option:
You know who is involved
You know the story because it is about you.
It is about your own experience.

3. However, be careful…
I get upset every time I think of him not being there. One thing he taught me is never take life for granted because you never know how long you have. If it wasn’t for my grandad fighting his battle against illness and putting a smile on his face very day, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. He taught me that no matter how bad things seem, enjoy life while you have it.

4. Higher Reflective Essay needs…
A degree of reflection
A sense of the writer’s personality
plus…

5. Essential ingredients…
You need to characterise the other people in your narrative
A shape and structure just like a short story.
Careful choice of words.
Description that creates impact.
Imagery that creates impact.
Limited dialogue.

6. Death or Divorce… ‘I miss her so much’. How is that ‘missing’ felt?
In the emptiness of a room?
In a message that never comes?
In a missing place at the table?
These details make much clearer the actual ‘missingness’ and allow the reader to empathise with your experience.

7. The best Reflective Essays…
Are written in a concerned or contemplative tone – an insight into the nature of an aspect of society adding to your own understanding and self-knowledge arising from your own experience.
A reflection on aspects of life and your place within it dealt with ironically or humorously, such as:
an essay on possessions/fashion and how important they are to your self-image.
an essay on the trauma caused by separation from your life support system – your mobile phone.

8. Possibility that…
This kind of essay can veer into the discursive, but the element of personal experience keeps it firmly in the reflective zone.

9. Example 1: ‘Am I a Patriot?’
Opening…
Body – looks at the different characteristics of the English and the Scots as illustrated through his own experience and comes to a conclusion…

10. Why reflective?
Viewpoint based firmly on writer’s own and his family’s experiences and emotions.
Reflective essay with strong discursive elements.
Demonstrates characterization – easy to imagine / to ‘see’ his grandparents.
Strong structure – end recalls the beginning and the title.

11. Example Two…Opening will … what did you say? It does that! Let me see!
I will not be like other people. I will never own a smartphone. I
will … what did you say? It does that! Let me see!
Handed over.
Hooked.

12. Opening… Sets scene for discussion.
Gives sense of writer’s personality.
Followed by: the case for smartphones (in personal terms)
Followed by: the case against smartphones (in personal terms).

13. Conclusion… Purring by my side, glowing in the dark – my best friend.
As a reader you know:
Which side has won.
Something about the self-knowledge (or lack of it) of the writer.
It has said something interesting to the reader which makes them consider the topic with fresh insight.

14. Key Reflective Techniques
Showing not telling
Imagery
Starting at the moment of action
Flashback
Short sentences or paragraphs for impact
Use of minor sentences
Jump cut to different scene or action
Repetition
Use of incident or anecdote

15. and there’s more… Thoughts Dialogue Wider reactions Feelings
Storytelling techniques as appropriate
Detail and description
Reactions to both yourself and others

16. Active Learning Task One…
‘Class Room’

17. Home Study for 14/9/18
Annotate ‘Class Room’

18. Three levels…
Level One: event(s) / Experience(s) brought to life by effective writing techniques.
Level Two: reactions to yourself and others involved.
Level Three- wider reactions: a lesson, a thought or a realisation for all of us.