A teaching journal can help you stay focused on observing your teaching style, strengths and challenges. It can also help you focus on changes over an extended period. It is easier to observe your progress when substantial time has elapsed.
Hi Rhonda:
Yes, and some of those triumphs are significant benchmarks in the development of a class or evolution of the teachers growth. The journal can effectively memorialalize these special occassions.
Reflection is a powerful self learning tool. We can use it to reflect on our progress and recognize and be encoraged by progress made over time.
Regards, Barry
Hi Gina:
Some like to journalize. Nothing here should imply you should.
Keeping a record of what has worked is sometimes helpful, and making a notation about it somewhere may be useful for future reference. But you should find what makes sense for you, and do what seems right for your classes.
Regards, Barry
Hi Scott:
I think this is fine, and any kind of record keeping technique is better than none at all. Some just like to journalize because their comments are more indicative of feelings and perceptions, things that one might reflect on at a later date.
I use post it notes, and if I find that information is useful the next go around or two, I'll just encorpotrate it into the regular planned curriculum. Understand that some notes pertain to very topical material, and after a while, lose their applicability to the course.
That's just how I choose to do it. And only when it's relevant to do so.
Regards, Barry
Keeping a teaching journal allows you to keep a record of what goes well (or not) in your teaching approaches. It's easy to forget exactly how you taught a concept from quarter to quarter, and a journal serves as a good reminder so that you can continually improve your delivery to various types of learners. It's good to be able to review particular teaching triumphs and shortfalls as well as to note your progress and growth as an instructor.
I have not thought of this concept per se, however I can see how it would be a very useful tool. I try and take notes each time I teach a class in regards to syllabus, assignments, field trips, and update it each time. I always find that each time I teach the same class, no matter how many times I've taught it I have subtle or sometimes big changes/adjustments that I would like to make that makes the class better and better, to teach and to learn.
I have no need for a specific teaching journal. I keep specific (daily) notes on my (daily) outline for any changes needed for the next class.
Hi Malanie:
Good use of a journal. It does take time, and it appears you have prioritized time to make your entries.
Sometimes, the reflection on past classes can be quite illuminating! What seemed appropriate a few classes or years ago, may appear quite dated or inappropriate now. Or how you approached a situation, or topic. Hopefully we grow and improve as instructors. Keeping a journal (or similar record) can positively contribute to this process.
Regards, Barry
Hi Timothy:
Sounds terrific, but must take a little bit of time. Either way the principle is sound. Being able to reflect later on regarding class events and use that information to improve as a teacher ultimately is the primary benefit of keeping some sort of record, such as a jorrnal.
Regards, Barry
I would be lost without my teaching journal. I take a few minutes after each class and reflect. I will write notes on things to improve on, change, or keep. I also note how the class responded to the previous lecture. I have noticed after doing this it makes preparation time easier the next quarter. I have noticed when I do this I am also able to stay on track with the course material as well.
I feel this is a great idea. I take notes everyday about how the class went, content , delivery, follow up and just everyday great points and mistakes. I review them each module so I can improve as an instructor. Keeping notes of students also helps me help them reach their goal of success.
Debra:
Yeah, it's like being in different conversations. Some you feel real good about - smooth, comfortable, engaging, balanced sharing, respect for the others opinion, etc.
Others you may feel didn't go so well - didn't seem interested, couldn't understand my point, disagreeable, unfriendly, etc.
Same thing with classes, some go real well, others not so much so. What made the difference? Having a record of sorts can help shed light on something that previously worked and you want to recall that. There is just a lot of benefit to recording thoughts, ideas, or notes to yourself. The method you use really doesn't matter that much.
Regards, Barry
You're so right, anything that can help simplify the process. After all, why reinvent the wheel? I find that looking back at previous lesson plan books helps me see how I laid out that class in previous quarters. This is especially helpful when the class is a night class. Also, at our schools, we have a 10-week summer quarter, which is 2 weeks less than other quarters. Looking back to see how I planned those courses helps me the next time I teach it summer quarter.
Hi Debra:
For me, I have 30+ years teaching experience and I still have my original to current lesson plan books. I look through them occasionally. Once in a while, I remember I jotted down something in the past lesson planner and I'll retrieve it. Any resource that helps is worthwhile, eh?
Regards, Barry
James:
I do something similar, simply writing post-it notes in the curriculum binder to jog my memory next time the class is taught. When the binder gets updated, I evaluate whether to permanently add this or not. Sometimes there's topical information that's relevant for a time, but loses it's significance, so I'll toss it.
You're right about classes being dynamic - each one just a bit different. We need to be flexible in our delivery and choice of content.
Regards, Barry
I don't keep a "journal" per se; however, every quarter, I keep extensive lesson plans. The next time I teach that course, I can look back at those lesson plans, and see what the flow of the course was and changes that I made as the quarter went on. Then I can fine tune the course for the current quarter.
I like to have a hard copy of the activities of each class. As I go through the material I mark down if the time alotted was sufficient or if it will require more time. This way I can make adjustments on the fly and for subsequent classes. Every class comes in with different personalities, learning capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses which may cause you to continually adjust the schedule but also requires you to have the ability to be flexible.
Amy:
Journals can do a lot; sometimes it takes numerous entries before one can recognize a pattern. Other times, just a record for future reference serves the purpose. Reflection on general principles and broader personal values can be memorialized using a journal. One thing, I think this is one of the more under used tools that could benefit teachers and work towards creating improvents that help student do better.
Regards, Barry
Lets you see your weak areas and what you are doing sucessfully.
Hi Bobbi:
Journals can also be records, reflections, reminders, personal thoughts, etc. Sometimes it's only after reflection that we can realize what might be working in the classroom (i.e., our perception vs. the students perception).
Regards, Barry
