Reflection Journals
Reflective journals are assessments. They are used to track a student’s learning process and exude knowledge
and confidence in writing, assessing, and reflecting about your field internship experience. It is essential for
students to effectively analyze their own progress and apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations.
Detailing your experiences and emotions with regard to your learning process is very reflective, and will help
you learn, grow and improve in your work with clients. Journal entries should be made at regular intervals
after you have seen a client to keep it fresh. Please remember that each journal entry represents one day at
your field internship, not one week. Please use the reflection journal template that is provided at the end of
syllabus. Reflections journals should be submitted at the end of weeks 4, 8, 11 and 15.
You should include the following in your reflection journal:
1. Description: Report the facts. What happened?
2. Thoughts: Describe how you were feeling?
3. Evaluate: How did the facts and thoughts impact each other?
4. Analysis: Use critical thinking. What sense can be made of the situation?
5. Conclusion: What will be your focal point or next steps?
6. Action: If the situation happens again what would you do differently?
Reflective journals can help you understand your own strengths and weaknesses. When writing your journal,
remember to be critical, specific, thorough, use evidence and develop a structure!
Rubric for Student Reflections
Above Meets Approaching Below
Expectations Expectations Expectations Expectations
Reflective The reflection The reflection The reflection The reflection does
Thinking explains the explains the attempts to not address the
student’s own student’s thinking demonstrate student’s thinking
thinking and about his/her own thinking about and/or learning.
learning processes, learning processes learning but is vague
as well as and/or unclear
implications for about the personal
future learning learning process
Analysis The reflection is an The reflection is an The reflection The reflection does
in-depth analysis of analysis of the attempts to analyze not move beyond a
the learning learning experience the learning description of the
experience, the and the value of the experience but the learning experience.
value of the derived derived learning to value of the learning
learning to self or self or others to the student or
others, and the others is vague
enhancement of the and/or unclear
student’s
appreciation for the
discipline
Making The reflection The reflection The reflection The reflection does
Connections articulates multiple articulates attempts to not articulate any
connections connections articulate connection to other
between this between this connections learning or
learning experience learning experience between this experiences
and content from and content from learning experience
other courses, past other courses, past and content from
learning, life learning experiences, other courses, past
experiences and/or and/or future goals learning experiences,
future goals. or personal goals,
but the connection
is vague and/or
unclear.
DATE DESCRIPTIONS THOUGHTS EVALUATION ANALYSIS CONCLUSION ACTION
