Rubrics for Journal Writing

Journal writing assignments are explored in writing classes for purposes of experimenting with expressing ideas, perspectives and emotions through written words. While journal writing is a personal process and should not adhere to a single, rigid paradigm, writing instructors look for a variety of elements during the process of grading journals. Such elements include working on thematic statements, addressing social issues and organizing journals into readable and learnable content. Students must keep in mind that whatever grades they hope to achieve for their writing, journal writing should always be a process of enjoyment and self-discovery.

Developing Main Ideas

Students new to the craft of academic writing should not mistake an academic journal for a personal diary. While the latter can include incoherent statements and a lack of thesis, an academic journal entry is evaluated on a main point. Though the journal in class differs from a formal essay in that it need not be as polished, the instructor must see that the student is working with some type of statement from which the reader can learn.

Exploring Possible Arguments

Students benefit most from journal writing when they are asked to explore their individual viewpoints on important social or political issues. Journals aid students in their quest to understand how they fee about particular topics, which then helps in development of arguments. Writing instructors look for students to demonstrate their ability to consider how they might develop formal arguments based on these viewpoints. The journal, in essence, is a place to draft ideas for bigger assignments that involve arguing and research.

Mechanics

Though journal assignments are less formal than fully developed essays, students should not ignore mechanics in these entries. Mechanics that teachers look for students to demonstrate knowledge of are utilizing proper grammar, writing in complete sentences, separating text out into manageable paragraphs and working with smooth transitions from one thought to the next.

Honesty Heeds Quantity

Instructors look for whether or not a student can be honest on the page. This means that students write about issues in which they have genuine interest or issues that are relevant to their lives. Often students can struggle to produce a certain amount of material because they are unaware of how they feel about issues. This is OK, but a teacher must sense in journal entries that students are trying to express genuine viewpoints, as opposed to opinions that may belong to other people. With honesty the goal, students should have an easier time creating content for journals.

References

• Journal Writing

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