Reflective Essay: Using the Gibbs Cycle to Analyze Life Experiences

This essay applies the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, a model for critical reflection, to analyze two significant life experiences: the loss of a child and the experience of starting university. The essay begins with a detailed description of each situation, followed by an exploration of the feelings associated with each event. It then delves into an evaluation and analysis of the events, considering what went well, what went wrong, and the underlying circumstances. The conclusion summarizes key learnings and insights, and the action plan outlines steps that could be taken if similar situations were to arise in the future. The essay demonstrates a deep understanding of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle and its application to personal growth and learning from past experiences. The author reflects on the emotional impact of loss, the challenges of new beginnings, and the importance of learning from life's ups and downs. The essay concludes with a call to action, emphasizing the importance of analyzing experiences to learn and make better decisions in the future.

ESSAYS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................................3
I lost my Child.........................................................................................................................................................4
Description..........................................................................................................................................................4
Feelings...............................................................................................................................................................4
Evaluation and Analysis.....................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..........................................................................................................................................................5
Action Plan.........................................................................................................................................................6
The day I started University.....................................................................................................................................7
Description..........................................................................................................................................................7
Feelings...............................................................................................................................................................8
Evaluation and Analysis.....................................................................................................................................8
Conclusion..........................................................................................................................................................9
Future Plan..........................................................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
The Gibbs reflective cycle theory of 1998 is a model of reflection which helps a
person to look a situation critically. This theory include 6 stages of reflection in which the
first part is the description followed by feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and the final
action plan. Every stage defines the happening situation and its various aspects. In the
description part they have to explain the situation in brief so we could say that it contains the
background information like what all things are included. They have to make sure that the
description provided is accurate and are point to point. Feelings consists of the thinking and
the experience which a person has faced. Normally this point discuss about your emotions
that how did you felt at that time. Evaluation is the way through which they can reflect what
was good and bad about that thing. Analysis discuss about what sense you could make of that
thing or what circumstances has led to that thing. Conclusion deals with the fact that what
else you could do and in the final action plan you have to know what you could do if that
situation arises again (Moon, 2013). These stages can be modified depending upon the
situations and the two situations in which we will be following this model is “I lost my child”
and “I started university”.
I lost my Child
Description
It was the usual sunny day of Friday and as it was pre decided that I along with my
wife and my six year old child will be going for a picnic on the beach located in East London
and there after we will be going for a launch at the nearby restaurant. Johnny who was our
only child and was fun loving, he was the reason why I and my wife was together. In the last
2 years I and my wife was having a dispute and wanted divorce from each other but Jonny
was only the reason why we were together. One day I had made a decision that I will be
taking one day off from my hectic schedule of office and will go for a picnic with my small
family so that I could spend a quality time with them. Jonny was very excited on that day and
as the beach was 90 km away so we drove early in the morning (Navaneedhan., 2011). We
reached at that point in just 2 hours and changed our clothes so that we could be comfortable
for the sun bath. The crowd was not in large number so we felt privacy, my wife Belinda was
relaxing at his long chair. Jonny was urging me to go in the sea so I pulled him up in my

arms and started playing with him in the blue water. Waves were not so high as they were
calm so it was safe to be in the water. We continued to play for almost 2 hours non stop and
after that my wife also joined us in the fun activity. After hours we felt hungry so we though
of having lunch at nearby restaurant named as 'Barcelos'. After having lunch I asked them
that why not we go again to the beach just for few hours and relax, my wife was not ready for
this but after few arguments she was convinced (Gould and Taylor., 2017). I was seeing
Jonny as he was playing himself but as I was feeling tired I felt like sleeping my wife was
already sleeping. A hour later my wife was asking me to wake up and saying “ where is
Jonny”. We were searching all the beach and than after the restaurant again but there was no
evidence of Jonny. It was the fact that we lost our child.
Feelings
This was a big blow for me and my wife as we never thought that this will happen.
The loss cannot be described in words as he was only the reason for my happiness. I was
responsible for that thing as I was asking my wife to go again to that beach. This was the one
thing which has badly affected me as I was very much attached to him. When Jonny was one
year old I had made my mind that I will provide each and every thing to him. At that year he
was enrolled in primary school so we were much enthusiastic in seeing him in his school
uniform. As my wife was a housewife Jonny was only the thing which he had in leisure time
he use to talk to him and make him learn basic day to day habits.
Evaluation and Analysis
This incident has broke my heart into the pieces because after I lost my child there
was downfall in my life as my wife also filed divorce because of the fights we had everyday.
Whenever I think about that incident it makes me restless and it reflects in my work as I has
become lazy to do anything. After that I and my wife used to talk less and whenever we did
we had fight she always made me responsible for this as I was. I was living a alone life my
house used to haunt me and there was deep silence in it, Jonny used to play, roaming here and
there making noises. The feeling of the family has lost now it looks like that I never had a
family as it only existed in my dreams only. I don't know where he has gone, what condition
he is in and does he alive also. We tried our best to search him with the help of police and
various agencies but we never found any evidences (Husebø, O'Regan and Nestel., 2015). It
has been 3 years since this thing happened but still I am not able to forget what has happened.

It looks like with the loss of Jonny all the other things also has lost. Finding happiness in any
other thing feels like waste of time, nor there is anyone to whom I could share my feelings
and sorrow. The lady who was to be my life partner has also parted away from me. It is still
hard to believe that this life changing incident has occurred in my life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, seeing to the hard experience after the loss of my child there is still a
believe which is making me live that life is full of ups and down. There will be time when
you will face bad time which will be against you but if your life stops at that position you will
never able to move forward. Although this incident has hit be badly and pushed me in the
state of depression. I had been trying my best to come out of this and hoping that one day my
little child Jonny who come back and we would do everything which we have missed in these
years. Every action takes time and its results also takes more time so I have to keep patience
and should forget that incident because it is affecting my life badly, the consequences of that
will not help me live my further life. Seeing Jonny happy was my ultimate goal which will
not like to happen now as become a impossible thing so I need to evaporate that thing from
my mind (Maloney and et. al., 2013). I should start a new life by starting a new family for
that I should give my best to please my ex wife through making her understand that if we are
together we could start a new family forgetting past experience because when we married we
were very much sure that we both will be standing with each other in good and bad times. I
had to keep working hard through focusing on my work and spending quality time with my
friends.
Action Plan
No one should forget their past experiences but that does not mean they should always
cry for those. As the time progress things also progress and when you don't learn from your
bad experiences your life becomes hard and you feel uncomfortable in the environment you
are living in. I had learned that before doing any thing or taking any action basic assumptions
should be done of its results and consequence. Through analysing the possible outcomes
either that thing can be avoided or a plan can be made to face it (Husebø and et. al., 2013). I
have learned a thing that in this world everything is temporary, birth and death are the
universal truth. If someone has taken birth he will surely die one day, the thing which depend
is when that person will die it might be in early age at his youth or when he becomes old. If

this thing has happened to me it could happen to anyone so I have to take a note that I should
take an initiative on this thing. A organisation or a social group will be made who will be
making citizens of the country and police aware about how the kidnappers could kidnap their
child so how they should avoid that situation. Parents should make sure that their child should
not be alone or should not allow any suspected or unknown person to play with him/her. Any
uneven activity should be reported to police through helpline numbers provided by them.
Making children understand the fact that they should not accept any eatable items from
anyone because this is the simplest trick to trap a child and kidnap him. Any public parks,
picnic spots, beaches or any other place where people come for leisure time should be
guarded with security crew so that they could track the activity of that area. Other than this
CCTV camera should also be installed, child because these areas don't have any security and
can be targeted easily.
The day I started University
Description
Everyone has a dream of getting higher education for that they have to get enrolled in
a university. What kind of university I should go for admission and the clouds of nervousness
starts to come. It was a challenging task for me to make out any one decision, factors like
what will be the environment and what kind of things I will get to experience was revolving
in my mind. Although I was good at academics in high school and passed my subjects with
good grades. I was pre determined that I have to study literature so I had taken admission in a
university which was quite popular in the textile city of England that is Manchester. The day
came when I have to attend my first class so I woke up early in the morning and went for that
day. At the university campus there was lots of crowd split into different groups I though they
were also the new students who has enrolled this year (Quinton and Smallbone., 2010).
Confusion struck my mind about what to do next, where will be my class as I was told that
the class begins at 10 am in the morning and the clock was already showing 9:55am. So I saw
a old men there who I thought was a professor and so I quickly asked him about the literature
class. He has escorted me to the class and when I entered in the class a large population of
around 60 students was busy in there activities. Then the next task was to see where I could
find a place where I can sit, for this action a student wearing specks had gave me a hi-fi and

ask me to come over near him. Without thinking much I went there and sat there saying him
thank you for his offering. The professor introduced himself and asked us to introduce ourself
to one another like talking about the background we hail from, our interests and why we have
adopted studying literature. This process of introduction had consumed almost one hour and
the rest classes was also followed by such activities. All the lectures ended in the span of 4
hours and any student who was wiling to join any literature drama class can devote extra 2
hours to that. As I was always interesting in discovering Shakespeare literature drama this
thing would be best for me if I join. The first day of university ended with a hustle & bustle
and university professor gave us a brief idea that what all things we will be leaning in all
academic year.
Feelings
I was very much confused on the matter of fact that which college will be suitable for
me and other than this what all quality need to develop to study literature. Entering into a
environment which is totally different from that which was in high school so this made me
nervous that how I will be surviving at bigger platform. There was new people, new things
welcoming me or not and what if I don't get adjust in that university. I was very much
concerned about the friendship area I didn't know what kind of people I will find whom I
could share this bond. To make students comfortable the introduction part was a best way. It
was a mixed feeling of both good and bad as in the initial period I was frightened and nervous
but all the nervousness faded away as other students and professor started a conversation with
me (Qualters., 2010). I was having a mindset that during my turn of introduction what if I say
something wrong people will laugh at me but all had given a healthy gesture and supported
me during my turn. The academic description of the literature by the professor as given me a
sight of relief and made me confident & excited that whatever I have chose is of my interest.
Evaluation and Analysis
Things which I had thought before attending the first lecture of the university has
totally disapproved now I can say that I was totally wrong at my assumptions. The first thing
which came in my mind is that university was not like the high school but it is almost same
just the minor changes. I didn't knew that I will be facing such big class of 60 students and
there will be so much friendly environment. There was also less restrictions in comparison to
school and this thing has made me clear from the confusion which I had about the scope and

growth of the skills in university. My experience of first day made it clear that this is the
place where someone could show their skills and talents or they could learn it also. My first
experience says that university is a little unorganized sector which runs without following
some rules, regulations and policies. Becoming open to the surroundings and analysing them
is something which will be followed because adopting anything without analysing may lead
to you to losses. As I was ready and open for any task or activity this gave me advantage to
learn thing on the very first day. First day to any new environment is always challenging but
if the person has broad mind and creative thinking he will find easier in learning new things.
Conclusion
The overall experience of the first day was nice but their were few things which I
might had done like although I had given my name for literature drama hours but I had not
attended the very first class of it because I was in hast. Through that first class I could got
benefit in knowing all aspects of this field and this would make a clear picture of it in my
mind. I have a introvert type nature through attending the literature drama classes this nature
will definitely will see some improvement. The fear or the phobia of stage will automatically
vanish away if regular work on this is done. What knowledge and skills does I posses at
current level and enhancing those skills to boost the productivity of the learning will be a
useful task. What you have is an asset but maintaining that or increasing those asset at larger
level is the bigger task through this those assets will be converted into chances. The first day
experience has helped in achieving learning goals in order to meet the required competencies,
this has also paved the path for future.
Future Plan
This experience will help me in developing a great communication and writing skills,
the experience of the first day at the university as given me a brief idea that what all things
and skills are required to became a expert in literature and drama. Writing is not a easy task
and writing in a specific manner to define certain thing like situations, flowers, people,
nature, animals or etc. becomes more difficult so a proper pattern need to be followed which
could be adopted through this experience and learning (Leimbach., 2010). Learning in a right
manner without distracting from the subject is what they taught us. Various similes,
metaphors are used to describe a situation in a sarcastic way. There are some areas where I
think I am lagging behind or face difficulty in those areas so as time will pass I will improve

those sections. But this thing is not possible without the support of the professors so for that I
have to attend the lectures of them. Regularly following their instructions and adapting
according to them will help me overcome to the areas where scope of improvement is
required. I don't have any idea what I will be doing after this but I hope that through this it
will assist or help me in deciding my future.
CONCLUSION
This is to conclude that the Gibbs Reflective Cycle theory of 1998 is a way through
which any situation can be understood more critically. It has six aspects like description,
feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan which help someone to better
recognise the situation. Gibbs cycle theory was explained through taking two examples in
which the first was about the a father who lost his child and other scenario was about the
young boy who had experienced his first day at the university. Both are different situations
but through using Gibbs model they can be easily described and understood.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Moon, J.A., 2013. Reflection in learning and professional development: Theory and practice.
Routledge.
Gould, N. and Taylor, I., 2017. Reflective learning for social work: research, theory and
practice. Routledge.
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reflection in postsimulation debriefing. Simulation in Healthcare. 8(3). pp.135-142.
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reflection and learning–a teaching model. Innovations in Education and Teaching
International.47(1). pp.125-135.
Qualters, D.M., 2010. Making the most of learning outside the classroom. New Directions for
Teaching and Learning. 2010(124). pp.95-99.
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Navaneedhan, C.G., 2011. Reflective teaching pedagogy as innovative approach in teacher
education through open and distance learning. Journal of Media and Communication
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Maloney and et. al., 2013. Honesty in critically reflective essays: an analysis of student
practice. Advances in Health Sciences Education. 18(4). pp.617-626.