I believe that a journal can help to retain activities, handouts, tests, etc. that worked or needed improvement. We can utilize all of that information for future preparation of the courses.
Aldorey,
Great! If we assume that we do want to improve, then we can use the teaching journal as one tool to contribute to that goal. Reflection on what has worked or not worked, along with personal comments based on feedback we've received is a great teacher (and the journal a great repository).
Barry Westling
Writing and keeping a teaching journal will help instructor with instructional improvement. This can be a tool for assessment of accomplishments or needs improvement. Make a list of the good things that happens everyday in your class and the things that didn't went well. And make a reflection what needs to be change or improve. Focus on the list that needs improvement and the good things just enhance it. As an instructor there's always room for improvement.
Allen,
Right.! Another benefit is that of self reflection, especially over time. It's very interesting to read waht was important, what mattered, and how we as instructors view these same issues months or even years later.
Barry Westling
Keeping a journal will give you an idea about what things worked and what things didnt while teaching a particular class. This info can be used to modify the instruction for the next class and improve the overall effectiveness.
Rosemary,
That's a good trait you've developed. The journal can serve a lot of purposes, including planning, noting student questions, documenting facts, recording observations, consolidating thoughts about what worked and what needs improvement, and as you point out, reflective thoughts. The last point is perhaps the most helpful especially over time. That's why jotting notes down for review later makes the teaching journal effective.
Barry Westling
As a nurse I have always used reflection to improve patient care or management techniques. I usually do this in my head but can see the value of jotting things down so that I have it to refer to if I don't have the time to make immediate changes.
Sherry,
Right on! Good instructors soon find that reflection on notes or comments made are very useful, especially over longer periods of time. These observations reveal growth, improvement, and better classroom management.
Barry Westling
A teaching journal allows you the opportunity to record what went well and what you may want to change in the future. A journal can help you grow best practices.
David,
Could be, or also observations about self appraisal of what worked and what didn't, needed resources, personal feelings or emotions, or even notes about improvements to curriculum. Over time, reflecting on how we viewed things way back when is helpful in measuring growth and adaptaion over time.
Barry Westling
A teaching journal would be a record on how the lesson plan was recieved by the students.
William,
Tracking changes and or improvements (both those needed and those that occurred) are great notations for a teaching journal. My observations, thoughts, and personal comments are helpful to me as I reflect on the journal contents, weeks, months, and most reflective, years later.
Barry Westling
The teaching journal can be helpful in that it allows the instructor to track those methods of instruction that worked well, and conversely, those that did not work as well so that the instructor can reuse or not use those methods again. An example is using PowerPoint slides versus the white board. The instuctor might find that teaching a certain topic is better conveyed through writing major points as he or she makes those points rather than speaking to bullets on a slide. Another example is questions and transitions. Students can ask questions or provide transitions that the instructor didn't even consider, but can be used during followon sessions. The journal documents those methods and moments to be used during subsequent classes.
Rosa,
I understand. I used to use yellow post it notes. Trouble was, they were everywhere, and some got misplaced inadvertently. Journalizing, or simply documenting ideas or thoughts can be in any form that works for the instructor. In fact, it has to be workable or the instructor won't do it. Also, some begin with simpler methods, then realize they want something more.
Barry Westling
A teaching journal sounds too formal and time consuming, however, a method that has worked for me is to write notes within the syllabus and/or the lesson plan. Simple and to-the-point notes that will remind me what worked, what would I do differently and what to improve on.
Eddy,
This sounds like a great tool for you. I have found that reflection over past months and years reveals where I've grown as a teacher, and my improvement over time from the past to present. Only by tracking observations, notations, thoughts, concerns, and personal comments in some sort of journal can change and improvement be noted. Some instructors may have great memories, I don't, but the journal reminds me of good and awful from the past.
Barry Westling
By Eddy Mojena
A teaching journal always allowed me to go back to ideas and ways and that I’ve done in the past and maybe tweak them in the present to become more of an effective teacher to the students.
Melissa,
What you do for testing sounds great, I do that nearly every test. I would say a journal can be very beneficial for other areas, such as after a class, jotting a note about what worked or didn't, information to follow-up on for future classess, personal observations about students, their attention, personal preparation, etc. I like to think of it as CQI, or cconstant quality improvement. Reflection on comments made months or even years later are very instructive to reveal something about personal growth and improvement as an instructor.
Barry Westling
I think that a journal is a great idea especially with new instructors. You can take notes after every lecture you prepare as well as give. This will allow you to reflect and correct mistakes or weakness in your lecture. I like to do this with new tests, I wait till I returned the graded tests and see how the students react, was a question worded funny? If so you can ask for imput and correct it.
Cynthia,
Teaching journal are varied as to format and content - they are what an instructor makes them. Your stated use sounds good. I think over time you may find there will different entries, such as observations about yourself and students, planning future classes, and insights that reflect growth and improvement over time. Good luck as you begin.
Barry Westling
