One of the most important parts of learning is the reflective process for the learner. It’s like a feedback loop or a litmus test of sorts – when you continue to look at recent or current work and assess it asking yourself questions like:

• is this work I’m proud of?
• is this writing piece a good representation of my abilities as a writer?
• is there anything in what I’m writing that’s challenging me, my development of ideas, my creativity, or my style of writing?
• what’s my attitude towards the work I’m developing? Am I doing it with intent or am I falling into passively writing without being thoughtful or purposeful in it?
• what is my goal in my recent and future writing pieces? am I focusing on improving syntax (sentence structure)? Am I trying to develop more consistent use of punctuation and mechanics? Am I focusing more on a full story or realistic characters, over careful sentence development?
• am I trying to write like anyone else? Am I feeling self-conscious of what I’m developing? Am I comparing myself to another writer who’s invested more time in their writing style than I have?
• am I doing this just for a grade (in Creative Writing class) or am I doing it for some personal reasons/enjoyment?

In your ELA classes, this type of Metacognitive practices (learning about yourself as a learner) are called AR Tasks (Assess and Reflect Tasks). Here’s your first one in Creative Writing 20.

Consider these questions in relation to the last 1 or 2 writing pieces you’ve developed, based on the Senses Image Cluster work.

To remind you of those steps, you’ve recently done the following:

• selected a location with ambient sounds and used it to brainstorm and Freewrite the 5 sense elements you’d expect in that sound environment (volleyball tournament, country garden, camping location, or fireplace setting, for example)
• You developed a Writing Activity #1 based on that Freewrite and sensory elements. There was formative (during the writing) feedback given.
• You developed a Writing Activity #2 based on the same sensory focus and received formative feedback on this as well.
• You’ve taken some time to review and make edits/corrections to your writing and should start recognizing the types of common errors you’re making in the writing as well as some of the positives/strengths in what you’ve developed.

Now, consider the following questions for your AR Reflective Task: 

1. What are your main errors in the writing you’ve recently developed? Are there constant errors you can identify as well as some occasional errors?
2. Do you recognize/understand how to avoid some/all of these errors? Explain what you need to do instead to avoid some of the biggest/most constant errors.
3. What do you like about what you’ve written in these recent samples? Identify a few specific things you like most.
4. What could your goal(s) be to improve in the short term (near future)?
5. Identify one change in story direction you could have taken with your writing piece.