Reflective Essay

A written reflective essay is an extremely important part of any culminating or capstone project. This is the opportunity for you to write about where you started, what you thought was going to happen, and finally, what actually occurred. There are no "wrong" answers when reflecting on your experience.

The essay must be 500 words (two pages), typed, double-spaced with 1-inch margins and in Times New Roman size 12 font. This essay should be a narrative written in the first person style. The purpose of this paper is to show what you learned about yourself as you worked through the writing and presentations of their research.

This essay should include personal and educational experiences, that led to the your interest in the topic which was chosen for the project. The following questions will guide the writing but are not restrictive:

• Why was this topic chosen? What experiences (classes, people, books, etc.) directed the choice of the topic?

• What did you learn about yourself through this experience (persistence, research skills, time management skills, commitment to a task, etc.) Was the learning something unexpected?

• How will the experience apply to your future plans (leader in education, teacher, etc.)?

• What research was completed that helped the student accomplish his/her project?

• Were you satisfied with your topic choice? Why or why not?

• Were you satisfied with the results of your research? Why or why not?

• What obstacles were encountered and how did you deal with these challenges?