Using a journal can help you reflect and analyze how things have been done, and what can be changed in the future. I am constantly "tweaking" my syllabus, lesson plans, etc... to provide the best possible class that I can for my students.
Hi Elias:
Sounds like a good use for someone who uses a journal on a regular basis. My opinion is that's fine, if it works for the teacher. The last thing a busy teacher needs is another activity added to their plate.
But for teachers who do journalize, there are benefits that do help improve the teacher over time, if they're willing to make the self-observed need for change.
Regards, Barry
You can monitor your daily teaching methods and, what worked that day/course with specific types of students. If you are honest to yourself about your inquiries you will improve your weaknesses
Hi Bryan:
Your right about the various types and uses for a journal. I think they are helpful, but not absoultely necessary. I do think that better instructors probably journalize because they find it benefits them in some way.
Regards, Barry
A teaching journal is a valuable way to reflect on what happened in a given class session. Although teachers are always observant of their classes and often have great ideas of how to do things better next time, we can easily forget as we get lost in the hustle of day-to-day teaching. Recording our thoughts in a journal, preferably immediately after the class ends, allows us to better remember what happened and our plans for future improvement.
The teaching journal is flexible, of course, and can be used for many more things than simple lesson evaluation. Instructors may choose to record their personal thoughts about students (perhaps not named, to protect confidentiality) or themselves, so long as these remain appropriate and professional. This may allow them to more easily recall ways of handling problems, specific types of students, or even personal situations that may impact classroom teaching. This sort of journal, more personal and more reflexive, can be a powerful force to helping particularly less-experienced instructors identify their reasons for teaching and their ability to overcome even the trickiest and most spontaneous problems--down the line, if not the first time.
Hi Richard:
Some teachers use journals well, others use something different, or not at all. I think those that use them probably benefit from their use. Notes, comments, ideas, reflections, observations - these and more can be summarized and reviewed by teachers at a later date to be inspired to even a s reference of sorts.
Regards, Barry
Hi Louis:
This sounds like an active tool for you!
I like your collecting the "career stories" that can added to classes at some point as needed. I've often desired " I wish I wrote down all the things I've heard from students over the years, I could write a book".
Regards, Barry
it is crucial for instructor to keep journals. This will aid in the betterment of the class and of the delivery of the material to the learners.
Hi Julie:
Different uses - absoultely. Just as in a class setting, each teacher chooses how best to use the resources they have available to them. The key is to make it work and be useful, not some exercise that doesn't result is helping somehow or or sometime.
Regards, Barry
I use the student course book as my teaching journal. I use it to make notes as I teach my course over several different classes. It helps me keep informed about areas that students need additional support or instruction and I will add my comments to my book to either repeat or rephrase my instruction in different formats, ask for individual student feed back ask for class participation to insure my message is being received as sent. I will also make note as where to add personal career “stories†this helps me to make sure the stories I am telling at that time relates to the material being taught and reinforces that material. I also use it to set up teaching TIME guidelines although the timelines are not strict they help to insure the material will be covered according to schedule.
A teaching journal, like all journals, is an excellent tool to record activities that are successful and those that need improvement. We have an opportunity to reflect upon our daily/weekly activities and from our journal, make any revisions deemed necessary to improve our lesson plans/delivery/etc for the classroom. This is also a way to jot down any questions and share these inquiries with our colleagues for another opinion.
Hi Tipton:
Keeping a record is useful to reflect, to comment to oneself, to record thoughts and desires, or maybe, a bit more functional, such as records of good ideas for lessons, notes from past classes that were very successful, or observations about different classes over time.
It's not a requirement to journalize, for some it's just not their style. But for others, it's a very underused tool successful teachers use for self awareness and improvement.
Regards, Barry
It is a great learning tool for the teacher. Looking back on the journal you can corrolate the results of the course content and see what teaching technigues and methods are effective.
Hi Frank:
Great. There are many uses. You've described a functional use which could be very helpful for the reasons you describe.
Some teachers like to be more reflective, so their notes contain more thoughts, feelings, impressions, perhaps even emotions.
Yet another version is more ideas, personal comments, notes, "what-if's", - essentially planning possibilities.
Another group may track notes about student performance, attitudes, readiness, successess, etc. Some don't use a journal at all.
I think there's value in journalizing and it may one of the more underused tools teachers have at their disposal.
Regards, Barry
Hi Shellie:
I agree, a regular practice of jotting notes, comments, and thoughts immediately following a class session can be valuable, moreso over time, but also in the short run. It's probably among the lesser used but effective tools many teachers overlook in their development as educators.
Regards, Barry
A teaching journal can act as tool to help better organize a class after the first time teaching it. One could look back and see where they needed to allocate more time to improve student retention. Additionally you could adjust the order of topics in the class to create a better flow, or give them the needed tools for other coreq-classes or labs
Hi David:
Reflection is an interesting phenomenon and, as you say, over time, can identify trends or pratices that aren't as obvious in shorter periods.
But besides reflection, there's the ability to make notes, keep thoughts and ideas collected, personal commentary about needed or desired improvements, etc. It can really serve a lot of purposes.
Regards, Barry
I think a teaching journal is extreemly important for many reasons. Mostly, a journal gives and instructor a tool for reflection. An instructor is better able to revisit a given situation that was journaled while the situation was still fresh. This allows an instructor time to reflect on how better to handle future problems. A journal also privides a backup should questions arise with a student.
On a better note, a journal allows an instructor to "jot down" important changes in class structure. When that plan B made sense to implement and whether or not plan A should be abandoned.
Journaling classroom successes as well as classroom problems makes for a great tool.
Hi Pittari:
Well, "to err is human" as the saying goes. I would say teaching as an employment sense, is just as susceptible to goofing up now and then as any other employment. Perhaps a journal to keep track may help. If so, then it becomes a method of ongoing quality improvement.
The more I teach, I find my "mistakes" are more from "life lessons" rather than "class lessons". For instance, perhaps a situation regarding compliance with a rule and the ensuing inteaction with the student. I tend to be tolerent of the person but intolerent of the behavior. E.g., I could exercise more patience.
I keep post it notes in places I will see them. I'm not one much for journals. But I understand the benefit some teachers derive from them.
Regards, Barry
I will be the first to admit, I do make mistakes in the classroom. The teaching journal will remind me what mistakes were made and allow me to correct them so they will not occur again.
