You are on page 1of 3

Socha 1

Emma Socha
Ms. Ingram
UWRT 1103
29 September 2015
Self-Reflection on 5 Practices and Habits of Mind
Under the Course & Materials tab on the class syllabus, there are 10 key concepts listed.
When I first went through these practices and habits of mind, it was more of a skim. I didnt
exactly take the time to understand what each one really meant. I just noticed that I was familiar
with some ideas, and others not so much. Now that I have begun writing in this class, whether
its my blog or a paper, I can see that I am developing some of these concepts. I am also aware
now that I struggle more with some of them and am finding it hard to put use to them.
One key concept that I have strongly engaged with would definitely be rhetorical
knowledge. Just recently my class submitted our exploratory essays. My paper was filled with
rhetoric. The main forms I used were pathos and rhetorical questions. In my blog I explained that
I used mainly pathos in the form of my word choice in order to get readers to feel certain
emotions, such as sympathy, empathy and guilt. When my peers read my paper they told me the
way I wrote my paper and the words I chose really did get them to feel the emotions I had
originally intended for them to feel. I used the set of rhetorical questions would you rather be
the one who showed no appreciation and is left heavy with regret? Or would you rather be the
one who says, I was thankful for what I had when I had it, and have no remorse?, to conclude
my essay in order to get the reader to question their own thoughts and actions. I was effectively
able to use my rhetorical knowledge. After using it in my paper and reading about rhetoric in
Who Says? The Writers Research? I am even more familiar with it and have a greater
understanding of when it should be used, and now I can further develop my knowledge on
rhetoric in my writing pieces in the future.
I have also had the chance to engage with the idea of getting out of my comfort zone. It is
not so much present in my writing, but it has been displayed to me in the activities we have done
in class. Recently, we were asked to read our exploratory essay drafts out loud and give

Socha 2

feedback. For as long as I can remember, I have always avoided doing this. If I do have someone
read my paper I cannot be in the same room. I get extremely uncomfortable when I hear my
writing out loud or see someone reading it. I hate knowing that my work is being judged.
Sometimes I do not take the criticism that well. However, I got through it and I am glad I did.
By reading my paper aloud, I was able to see what I had failed to include or change when I
reread it in my head before class. The feedback from my peers also helped me more than I would
have thought. I was able to take in their ideas and corrections in a positive way. With their help I
was able to make my essay less confusing and give better examples. Although that is still out of
my comfort zone, I think this concept has developed a little more for me from those class
activities and the more I get the chance to do it the more comfortable I will get.
One other concept I have be able to engage with is making connections within my
writing. One day in class we did an activity where the goal was for us to recall a memory that
could potentially be fit into our papers. I was able to use this personal memory to connect to the
passion I was writing about. In my essay I said, My biggest passion was revealed to me
throughout my four years of high school, and continues to who more as time goes on. To
explain this revelation I had, I talked about a memory I had within that four years that related
back to what I was passionate about. I was able to connect the idea of not taking things for
granted to a personal experience I went through. Making connections with myself or connecting
one piece of writing to another has always been one of my stronger points in writing and I tend
to develop this more, not just in this class, but with any writing I do throughout my life.
A key concept that I have struggled with is the composing process. When I wrote my
exploratory essay I didnt do any planning beforehand, I just started writing. This is what I
usually do with all my writing assignments so I approached it no differently. Under the
information page on Student Learning Outcomes it says one should be able to demonstrate
flexible strategies for drafting, reviewing, collaborating, revising, rewriting, rereading, and
editing. At this point I wouldnt be able to do that because I have never had a set strategy when I
do those things which causes me to struggle to incorporate this concept when I am writing. I am
hoping during this second half of class, I will be able to learn how to effectively draft, review,
collaborate, revise, rewrite, and reread. To do this I could ask my teacher or my peers ways that
have worked for them in the past and incorporate them into the inquiry project. If I can find a

Socha 3

way to use this concept I think it would help me to better improve the organization of my
writing.
I have also struggled with critical reading. When we were asked to listen and read our
peers papers, I did not really know how to respond and critique. I do not even know how to
critique my own writing. Under Student Learning Outcomes it says one needs to be able to
analyze their own work and the work of others critically. The members of my group were able
to give me good advice such as, make certain sections more clear, change examples in some
areas, and elaborate on your personal experiences. I however struggle looking at a paper in
depth and have a habit of saying oh this is good. I stick to extremely vague comments that
people cant really work with. I think I struggle in this area because I dont want to offend people
with any of my comments and I do not know exactly what to look for, I just read. For the
remainder of the time I am in this class, I need to take more time to attempt to critically read my
peers and my own work and really learn what it is I need to look for and ways to come off
constructive rather than offensive. If I can improve my critical reading, I can then help further
improve my own writing as well as my peers.

You might also like