Teachers have incorporated journal writing into the language arts curriculum but it also has great value in other subject areas.
Writing in a journal has been a favourite past time of mine for years. Often I write in a journal when I have a problem to solve. By writing the problem out, I begin to see some ways to solve the problem or parts of the problem. If I am unsuccessful in solving the problem, the journal still has allowed me to give a voice to my frustrations.
As a teacher, I believe the journal is a great teaching tool as it gives insight to the teacher and student on a variety of subjects. As teachers read a student's journal they learn about their strengths and weaknesses. With this information, the teacher may decide to revisit a concept or group students according to their strengths and weaknesses. It is best for a group to have a variety of strengths but often it is difficult for the teacher to identify them quickly. A student's journal entries has powerful information for the teacher and themselves for their learning experiences.
