Billy,
Lectures and discussions are always interactive for me. I often write key words on the white board to trigger my memory to jot something about that later on in a more formal journal. So, even reflecting right after class and journalizing is not thorough enough to keep all my thoughts orgainzed. Actually, I'm fortunate I have a white board right at my immdeiate disposal.
Barry Westling
Keeping a teaching journal helps me to organize my thoughts, both for classes being taught in the current term and classes that I will be teaching in the future. I can see what works and what doesn't, and plan accordingly.
Gail,
Instructors who formally journalize often find their personal reflection to be more significant and meaningful. Recognizing growth, improvement and personal development is better realized when written notation is made.
Barry Westling
I think that a journal would be an excellent asset to my own teaching career. I have been teaching for years, but have never thought about journalling the experience. I do a personal reflection after each class, but never on paper.I have been utilizing journaling with my students for years, but never for myself. I plan to start immediately!
Stephanie,
The biggest benefit to me is the personal reflection I make about myself, and then reviewing it at a later time. I see growth, improvement, and personal insights that only time can reveal, hence the benefit of keeping a journal.
Barry Westling
teaching journals help me keep track of things that work and things that may not have worked so well. It also allows me a space to reflect on my practices and brainstorm strategies for improvement.
Lillian,
Reflection on how a class went, particular needs, improvements, things like this can be easily jotted down and reviewed later (as our tends to fade over time).
Barry Westling
I have never used a journal for teaching, however, I did take a class that I had to journal everything. Journaling would be helpful for a person who would follow after you or for a mentor or new instructor. when something unusual happens, or intersting, just write it down. it helps to retrieve the information. I could see the benefits. The drawback would be having to writ down everything.
Richard,
A personal version of the journal is the diary. What's nice with a teaching journal is that is is personal and only for the eyes of the author. Comments and posts put in can be reflected on a later time to reveal reminders, or even show growth and improvements made over time.
Barry Westling
Keeping a journal is something that I have done in my professional trade as well as a teacher. I have found it helpful to keep track of projects, keep my lesson plan and keep track of any problems that have arrisen from the class. It helps when a student has a question about a grade or why they think they deserve a higher grade than what they earned. This way I can go back and show them exactly what they missed, what they did not make up, when they were absent, and other projects that may effect their grades. The journal is a valuable tool to show the different ways that you may teach a class and see results so you can use them later on in a class that may need the same type of instruction. It helps me to be a more diverse teacher.
Melissa,
Yes, tracking good and not so good activities can be one reason to journal. I also make observations about students, ponder (to myself) about feelings and interactions, and sometimes note things I wish I had or ideas about how to do something better, all intangibles, but it's a place to record them and reflect on later on.
Barry Westling
A journal can help to keep track of what works well and what doesn't work so well. That way, one can continuously improve their methods of instruction.
Jacqueline,
Some instructors embrace using the teaching journal, while others avoid it. It really is an individual choice. For me, I get great benefit and satisfactioon being able to refer back to comments made, observation, notations I don't want to forget, and just thoughts about class, students, curriculum, and my employment. It's so interesting to look back over many years and see growth, improvement, and maturity as an educator. Few other activitives can provide that kind of perspective.
Barry Westling
You need to be able to reflect on the things that you have done well in the classroom as well as the things that you could have done better to help your students achieve their goals. I change my instructional aids and approach to incorporate the items that worked well in future courses and I document and research the items that I need to find better or new approaches for so that my students can grasp the information that I am providing them.
Jamie,
The two benefits I receive are the ability to acquire some bit of past information I noted that I need for a current class, and the reflection on observations I made from earlier classes. This is invaluable information that otherwise might have been lost altogether.
Barry Westling
I started keeping a journal to document my experiences in class. At the time, in all honesty, I didn't realize I was creating a teaching journal or the benefits of keeping one. This journal has helped me to see change and growth in my own perspectives as a teacher, as well as planning and delivery methods.
It's eye-opening and sometimes humbling to reflect on old journal entries.
Glenn,
Making personal notations as to the time different topics take to teach is one of the dozens of benefits instructors can receive when the regularly use a journal. Those who say "I'll make a note of that later on" are more likely to either forget to do it, or at least, forget some details and therefore will not receive as much benefit.
Barry Westling
I have used a teaching journal to note content that will take more time, or less, than I originally planned. This has helped to more accurately predict the amount of time I will need to teach the same topic in the future. The recommendation provided in this module to his the journal to document what worked and what did not is a very helpful extension to the journal as a time log. By documenting ideas in the journal, I can more accurately modify teaching plans for the future.
Linda,
Journaling can be helpful as a self reflecting aid that many instructors find useful, especially if noted immediately after each class session.
Barry Westling
I like the idea of developing a Teaching Journal. As a New VN Instructor I will use the tool as a method of self improvement with my professional development plan.
