Classroom Journal Ideas
Teaching a student how to craft a journal entry can be quite difficult, especially given the fact that some students will inevitably be more inclined to write than others. Nevertheless, journal writing is an important skill that anyone can benefit from at one point or another. Fortunately there are plenty of journal prompts that can help you to teach your students the finer points of journal writing.
-
Positive Self-Talk
-
Rather than focusing on negatives, ask your students to spend fifteen to twenty minutes writing a journal entry that focuses on one thing that they feel they do very well. This is a great way to not only teach students the beginnings of journal writing, but also to help them practice positive self-talk, which can keep depression and low-confidence at bay. Introspective journal writing prompts such as this work best for students who are at least ten years of age.
Favorite Song/Painting
-
Ask your students to spend thirty minutes writing a journal entry that focuses on their favorite piece of art, be it music, visual art or otherwise. Many students are interested in at least one form of art, and focusing on this topic can serve as a catalyst for creativity that the students might need in order to get something down on paper. This is an excellent prompt for high school students who are interested in the arts.
-
State of Mind Self-Assessment
-
Journal writing is all about learning to be introspective, which can help to gain perspective about one's life. Ask your students to spend twenty minutes on a private journal entry (for their eyes only) regarding everything they are feeling at a given moment. Encourage the students not to think too hard about what they are writing; rather, introspective journal writing is best done by writing down whatever comes to mind, even if it is incoherent. Many people find that introspective journal writing is most helpful when it is done each and every morning, and can even spark an increased focus and sense of calm throughout the rest of the day. This prompt will appeal most to high school and college students.
What Would You Do with a Million Dollars?
-
Task your students with writing a short (ten minutes) journal entry about what they would do if they were to suddenly receive a million dollars. Prompting students with such a notion can be a great catalyst for creativity, and can help them to realize dreams that they might not otherwise have known they had. This prompt is suitable for students of all ages.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit journal and fountain pen image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
