Journaling in the Intermediate Classroom

By: Tiffanie Helterbrand

FREE WRITE!  I have seen those two words so many times written on the board to start off a student’s day.  Free writes have their time and place in journal writing but when overused it can cause a lack in writing inspiration.  When implementing an effective Journaling Program in your classroom you must be prepared to do some leg work beforehand.  Practice what you preach by modeling good journal writing, creating a journaling checklist, finding the right journal topics and giving your students the opportunity to share/publish their writing.

On the first day of school in my 4^th grade classroom, I have a composition book and sharpened pencil lying in wait for its owner upon each desktop.  After my students have written their names on the marbled cover declaring ownership of this writing tool, I will guide them through the setup of their journal.  I will model for my students each of the following steps in my own journal which is projected on the Smart Board by the document camera.  If you do not have this technology available then you can always hold your journal up and walk around the room so they can see how you set up yours up.

Setting up your journal:

1.      On the top line of the first page write Table of Contents.  Starting on the next line down write numbers 1-10 straight down the far left side of the page without skipping lines.

2.      Talk to students about the purpose of a Table of Contents. Most students describe it as a place in the front of a book to organize what is found inside.  Have them look at the front of their composition book to find the number of pages.  Most composition books have around 100 pages and they need to think about the fact that they will be writing in their journal every day.  So, how many pages will it take for their Table of Contents? 

3.      My class estimated that they need three pages front and back for their Table of Contents so I have students turn to the fourth page in their journal and write the numeral (1) at the bottom-center of the page.

4.      Students will then continue to consecutively number the pages in their journal on the front and back of each page.

5.      This can be quite tiresome and we plan on doing some writing today so I don’t want to give them writer’s cramp yet so I tell them to stop when they have numbered 40 pages.  I will have them number 20 pages at the beginning of the next few days until each page has its own number.    

In order to be a good role model for young writers it is important for students to see you writing as well.  So when students are writing in their journal you need to be visible to them, showing them that you are writing too.  This shows students that writing is more important than checking email, making a phone call or working on next week’s lesson plans.  That is why you should set up your own journal along with your students and actually use it.  Please remember that it is important for you to write with your students during any writing activity when appropriate and not just during journal time. 

Something that I found frustrating when looking at some of my students journal entries were that they were missing a lot of important elements.  The next step in developing the student’s journal is to create a “Journaling Checklist” with your whole class.  Have students turn to the page that they numbered page 1 in their journal.  This will be their first entry.  Write the date and the title “Journaling Checklist” on page 1 of your journal and tell them to do the same.  Along with your whole class, brainstorm what each journal entry should include.  Write down Date and Title/Short Description of Entry as the first two checklist items.  Next give students three minutes to continue writing down ideas on what to include on the “Journaling Checklist.”  Then ask for volunteers to share out their ideas.  The following is an example of what my students helped me create at the beginning of the year.  Please note that you can adjust your checklist based on the needs of your classroom.  This was our beginning of the year list and then we added on as the year progressed.  There are many examples of checklists on the internet so if you have trouble coming up with your own just do a quick internet search.  After you and your students have written down your checklist on page 1, then demonstrate for students how to add this entry to the Table of Contents.  Since “Journaling Checklist” is on page 1 of their journal then they will write that title next to the numeral 1 on the Table of Contents page.   You will want to model this for students each day for at least two weeks so they get in the habit.

4^th Grade Journaling Checklist

I need to complete the following items in this journal entry:	Students:  Place a checkmark next to each completed item or N/A if it doesn’t apply to this entry.	Teacher: Place a checkmark next to each completed item or N/A if it doesn’t apply to this entry.
Date
Title/Short Description of Entry at top of page
Title/Short Description listed on Table of Contents next to correct page number
Neatness/Handwriting
Capital Letters where needed
Punctuation where needed
Complete Sentences
Illustration
Comments:

When I am satisfied with a checklist for my class I will type it up making sure they are small enough to take up a minimal amount of space on the journal page.  You will definitely need to measure and use trial and error on your own journal before making and cutting apart several checklists for student use.  I have a tray at the front of the classroom with several copies of the “Journaling Checklist” and my students grab one as they come into the classroom at the beginning of each day and use a glue stick to attach it to the next blank page of their journal. 

Inspiring students to write about something meaningful to them can come in many forms.  As mentioned before “Free Write” should not be your daily writing prompt because a blank page can be intimidating for any writer, much less a young writer.  I would suggest one “Free Write” every other week or possibly on Fridays only.  Story starter prompts are popular to use for journal writing and you can find them easily.  The internet is a wonderful resource to use because there are several teacher blogs and websites that have story starter prompts that have been used and found successful in inspiring young writers in their classrooms.  I also have found articles in teacher magazines and teacher resource books that have ideas listed as well.  I found many prompts that inspired my students on the following website: http://journalbuddies.com/journal_prompts__journal_topics/4th-grade-writing-prompts-73-exciting-journal-starters-for-kids/.  Many students are visual or auditory learners and you need to keep that in mind.  They may need a picture or audio clip to inspire them.  Simply ask students to respond to the first thing that comes to their mind when an image pops up on a PowerPoint or have them describe what they feel when they hear a certain audio clip.  It is also effective to use visual images as well as an audio clip together.  Just remember the popular phrase, “there is no need to reinvent the wheel.”  So use the internet to help you find prompts, photos, art images, audio clips, songs, and whatever else you can use to inspire writing from your students.

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, which has been adopted by 45 states, has Speaking and Listening listed as a standard for a reason.  It is an important skill for students to develop as well as allowing them to find their voice.  This is why for a few minutes each day I ask for volunteers to share and it builds their confidence as a writer when the whole class applauds at the end of their reading.  Some students choose to develop what they started writing in their journal into a special piece of writing and they may share that with the class at a later time.  Developing the trust needed in sharing their personal writing out loud, it is crucial for you to build a positive classroom community at the beginning of the year using Icebreaker activities.  This is something that you can research and find many great ideas on how to build a classroom writing community.

Remember that you are a great teacher.  So before the words “Free Write” appear on the white board, think about what your students need to be successful writers.  It is your responsibility to guide them to be a writer and to find their voice.  This can all be accomplished by thinking about and setting up a Journaling Program before your students even walk in the door the first day of school.