Critical Reflection (personal concerns/challenges/enthusiams about what we learned)

Hello -

We were just given an assignment to do. It asks for a critical reflection (2-3 pages) based on what we have learned so far. The reflection is to discuss our personal concerns/challenges/enthusiams about what we have learned and discussed so far in the language teaching program.

It is suppose to be a "personal" reflection. We are not to reiterate what we have learned and there is not research for this but must frame it based on new information learned so far.

My question is, when writing this reflection, do we write in the 3rd person/abstract form or do we go ahead and simply write from our own point of view. For example, I feel that ... or for me, this teaching method ... or, I hope that one day ...

Would you be able to give me some guidance on this? It is a university paper.

Thank you.

Dear Louise
If I were you in your shoes, I would write in the 3rd person in introduction but the rest of essay from my point of view in main body.

This is an interesting idea, and it could create a nice effect.

In APA style dissertations, the writer usually does not use first person. John Cresswell (2008) says qualitative research can involve first person but quantitative should not.

In a university essay about what YOU have learned, I really think you can use first person. The other option is to write about "the student" but that would be confusing. It depends on the professor! Ask her. But really, I think for this assignment first person is okay.