Journal Entry

The teaching journal I kept for the SWIP III is fascinating reading for me. I am continually amazed as I read the entries. Each one is a story. Some were beginnings and some were endings. The following is a part of a journal entry from January 15, 1985.

In language, of course, we have been doing a lot of writing and nothing else. I have done some grammar, punctuation, and capitalization instruction a long with the writing but not much. There isn’t a single person in my room (including the teacher) who can’t communicate better now than at the beginning of the school year. We have done some additional work together on sentence parts. This was done as a whole class activity. (I don’t know if that is better or worse.)

In spelling we have used writing in an attempt to help the student take ownership of their work by using the word in a self composed sentence. My students do better on the final spelling test when they have used the word in a sentence.

In science and social studies we have used writing in note taking summarizing, writing about units or chapters before we read them, and writing questions prior to reading.

Keeping the log (this journal) has helped make me aware of what my students are doing during various times of the day. It has helped me in that I have worried that maybe the students were off task. I have discoved that they usually are on task. I have discovered that they are doing many different but acceptable activities. I have discovered the students are developing study and time management skills as the year progresses. I have discovered that checking on the students from time to time puts the student in the position of thinking about what he is doing and he should be doing.

Using the conference form and taking notes on the conferences I have with the students I have learned a great deal about the students and seem to be right on top of what they are doing in writing. I like that. It is also very useful to refer as the writing and the school year progresses.

I am not sure where all of this journal writing is taking me. I have used my journal to plan. I have used it to describe what I have done. And, I have used my journal to celebrate my victories and vent my frustrations. I haven’t written in my journal enough and I have written in it too much. As I talk to myself I sort out my confusion but sometimes raise new questions. Sometimes solutions jump out of my journal, but as often, new problems jump in.

That’s a taste of what is in that journal. I am taken back to the time it was written as I read it and realize what a time of discovery it was for me. All of us come to teaching from different places. Some grow and change over time and some stay pretty much the same. I remember someone describing the latter as teachers who have twenty years of the one experience. I know some of those people.