4. What+We+Have+Experienced+Ourselves+with+regard+to+Journals+and+Journaling

I have used journals in a science __#|class__ to write and draw what we __#|observed__. This seemed more like a log than a journal. We did not really reflect on the material we were given. The other way way I have used journals is in my English classroom to think about and reflect about what we were reading in the class. We could reflect on the common reading or on our single reading. - Robin

In my elementary school we used journaling very frequently. In the first grade we had a dialogue journal with the students in the third grade. This really excited us because we got insights about upper level education and we all thought it was really cool that older students wanted to write to us. We were allowed to write anything we wanted. It was a great opportunity to ask questions, practice writing, and communication. - Alex

I remember having a journal in elementary school, possibly 4th grade. We used the journal at least three times a week and it would usually be at the beginning of class. The teacher would have a journal prompt written on the board and we had time at the beginning of class to write our responses. The journals stayed in the classroom, and our teacher checked for completion. She would also usually leave a comment or two on each entry. (Samantha Melton)

I had journals in middle school and I really did not see the purpose when I was that young but now __#|being a teacher__ I see that if you use them the right way that they can be very beneficial! (Kelsey)

I remember journaling in both elementary school and throughout middle school. I think journaling was a good way for my teachers to observe what I was learning in class, because I didn't speak up in class. In high school I continued to keep an individual journal. Being able to right down my feelings and thoughts daily was a great stress reliever. (Pryscilla)

It's funny to remember that my language arts teacher in 7th grade had us write in journals and now I'm observing in a 7th grade classroom. My teacher had us write in our journals at the beginning of class several days a week. They were marble composition books and she provided prompts for us. She kept them in her classroom and, if I remember correctly, responded every time we wrote in them. I became very close to this teacher, and I think our journal correspondence contributed to our relationship. (Rachel)