This was always a mind-blowing concept to my students, that they could become better writers by reading and better readers by writing. Giving students engaging opportunities to write, like journaling, will simply put, improve their writing. Choice is crucial in teaching and learning. Whenever possible, we need to give our students opportunities to be individuals, to express themselves, and to make their own choices within the realm of what we need them to accomplish of course.
Journaling offers a great opportunity for choice — choice in paper type, choice in content, choice in what the student shares — even the choice to not write some days within reason can tell us information about our students.
There are SO many kinds of journaling students can do, from a response to reading journal to a double-entry journal to a completely free response journal. Journaling can also help students to learn more about themselves — who they are and what they believe in. It encourages self-reflection and can make students less afraid to stand up for what they believe in.
By starting with a small audience, students can gain confidence in their beliefs and comfort in sharing those beliefs with others. Students today are more anxious, depressed, and wired than ever before. The simple act of journaling can help them to relax. I always included paper and writing tools in my Zen Zone a calming area in my classroom for students to write or draw as a tool to get them out of the red.
Focusing on gratitude can literally rewire your brain to see the good in the world — helping to make you a happier and more positive human. How can you pass on that? Check out this Free Gratitude Journal if you want to get started with this in your classroom! With the trauma our students come to us with and the pressures of life today, the mental health benefits alone are one of my top reasons why journaling is so important. I love journaling for the ability to show change over time.
Student work in their journal from September to November is a simple work sample to share at conferences, but I also relied on it to check for transfer of skills from writing lessons and help plan my instruction. I could easily pull small groups based on skills I was seeing or not seeing used in their journals. Their journals provided a significant source of information for report cards, too. Depending on the kind of journaling you do, it can also be an inside peek into the thought processes of your students.
So, if I can help my students with a tool to boost memory? The act of writing information not typing it, but writing it by hand helps improve memory. Journaling also resulted in students sharing their opinions more openly with each other. The study reports that:. When this reflection is in written form, students have a source of dialogue prepared for use during class discussions or when asking questions.
Journaling helps students to be less restrained when expressing themselves. It also gives students time to organize their thoughts and prepare responses, which can give them the extra confidence they need to participate in classroom discussions. Journaling is also a way for teachers to learn more about their students. And remember: Be patient! Some students may be resistant to journaling at first. However, many teachers find that students come to appreciate the benefits of journaling and actually request that the practice continue!
Encourage writing in your classroom! Universal Publishing offers a variety of writing journals for grades pre-k and up. Universal Publishing Blog. Search Articles.
Want to get blog updates right to your inbox? Subscribe today! Load More. Journal writing being a cathartic process, helping students release their emotions and stress by transferring their thoughts and frustrations onto paper. Sometimes, the act of writing itself does the job of relieving tension. Journals also help students to step back, reread their entries, gain a different perspective and find solutions to problems. Perhaps most importantly, journal writing helps students understand themselves.
Journal entries can help students identify patterns in behavior, consider possible stressors, and analyze their coping mechanisms. Learning about oneself can help students make positive changes to their lives. By journaling in the classroom, students improve more than just their writing skills. Students learn to reflect on, question, explore and find connections between themselves and the world around them. Professional Learning Board is a leading provider of online professional development classes that teachers use to renew a teaching license or renew a teaching certificate.
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