The reflective assignments you complete this term (i.e. the Bookend Assignments, the bi-weekly Reflective Assignments, and the Learning Assists) are informal writing assignments.  This means that I will not expect to see a thesis, evidence from our readings or outside sources, or a fully developed argumentative structure in your reflective assignments.  

This does, not, however, mean you can simply write anything on the reflective assignments.  In order to receive full credit for these assignments, you’ll need to make a good-faith effort to respond to the prompts with clarity and detail.

So, while reflective writing is “informal” in this course, the best reflective writing will:

• Be organized (NOT just stream of consciousness) 
• Follow the length guidelines for each assignment
• Offer concrete details about experiences, thought processes, and/or practices
• Connect those experiences, thought processes, and/or practices to course-related material and discussion, whenever possible and appropriate
• Be accessible to an outside reader–that is, include enough information that someone who doesn’t know you well (like your instructor) can fully understand them