The reflective essay examples using the Gibbs model have been discussed in some of my other articles, but I thought it was time to review this model in its entirety. It seems that most of the good reflective essay examples using the Gibb’s model use the Gibb’s model as a backdrop, and in order to really come up with an effective reflective essay you have to get rid of the backdrop, and then apply the model to your essay.
The key is to create your own background. There is nothing more inspiring for many writers than to have an outline and a structure to work from. However, many writers do not have any background in the composition of essays, and therefore they can have trouble coming up with an outline or structure of their own. As I have said, this is where the Gibb’s model shines, because once you have established the background for your reflective essay, you can move on to using the model itself.
The Gibb’s model is simply a tool that allows you to use different elements to represent a specific concept or theme. For instance, for your reflective essay on friendship, you would have to find the metaphor that best represents what you are trying to convey. For instance, if you were trying to express the idea that friendship is a virtue, you might use a tree, and a tree is an icon of friendship. If you were trying to explain that friendship is a virtue that is needed in every relationship, you could use another tree and another icon of friendship. You simply can’t talk about these concepts without using the metaphor and the concept.
Of course, the idea is to use as many different metaphors, images, and symbols as possible, and to use them in different positions within the essay. This way, even when you are just introducing different concepts or themes, you can make it easier to remember and easier to relate to those concepts.
One great reflective essay example is that of Henry David Thoreau’s book, which he wrote while on a visit to Paris. Thoreau wrote about the life of his friend, and in one of his reflections on nature, he makes the observation, “The most important thing in nature is the fact that we know the most about it.”
He goes on to state, “We must not forget that it is this truth which gives life its value; not its quantity. This truth is so self-evident that the less we know about it, the less we value it, and the less importance we give it.”
Now, I can easily relate to this simple statement. Although, in writing a reflection on friendship, it is easy to say that there is nothing more important than being a friend, I also realize that there are many other factors to consider, and I would not be able to stand up and write about friendship in the same way as Henry David Thoreau if I did not believe that friendship was important to me.
This is why I love the reflective essay model. It allows me to introduce many different elements of reflective writing, but I feel confident in writing about each of these different elements without it taking over the rest of my essay. When I am done with my reflective essay, I can simply move onto using the metaphors, and images that I have found to be most effective in expressing my ideas.
Another great reflective essay example is by Margaret Wise Brown. In this particular example, she uses a series of images and symbols to describe the emotions of loneliness and isolation, in order to create a reflection on the things that one can do to get over these feelings.
The first of her quotes, “There is nothing to be done about the loneliness, except to try to find out what it is inside of you that is giving you these feelings. “, is something that I cannot relate to. at all. But then she goes on to say, “We are only alone because we refuse to see ourselves in the mirror,” and in that last quote, she uses a series of metaphors and images to express her feelings.
These are just a few examples of how you can incorporate a reflective essay into your overall composition. If you are having trouble finding a good one, there are some great resources for you to check out.