IH CYLT

Journal Writing
In every lesson and in every classroom, events occur which the teacher can use to develop a deeper
understanding of teaching. If teachers are actively involved in reflecting on what is happening in their own
classrooms, they are in a position to discover whether there is a gap between what they teach and what
their learners learn. Even though some of your lessons on this course will be formally observed by a
qualified teacher trainer, you, the teacher, are in the best position to examine your own teaching.

Keeping a journal serves two purposes:

1. Events and ideas are recorded for the purpose of later reflection.
2. The process of writing itself helps trigger insights about teaching. Writing in this sense serves as a
discovery process.

Many different topics from classroom experiences can be explored through journal writing. For example:
 Personal reactions to things that happen in the classroom or in the school.
 Questions or observations about problems that occur in teaching
 Descriptions of significant aspects of lessons or school events
 Ideas for future analysis or reminders of things to take action on.

It is suggested (but not compulsory) that you keep a journal on your teaching while you are on the course.
Focus on a couple of your classes to begin with and use your notes to help you plan and develop. Try to
choose more challenging groups rather than a group that you really enjoy teaching.
The journals will remain personal and do not have to be shared with the tutors or course participants
unless you desire to do so.

Reflection Questions to Guide Journal Entries:

Questions about your teaching
1. What did you set out to teach?
2. Were you able to accomplish your goals
3. Were the materials you used effective?
4. Was your lesson teacher dominated?
5. What kind of decision making did you employ?
6. Did you stick to your lesson plan? If not, why? Did the change make it better?
7. Which parts of the lesson were most/least successful? Why?
8. Would you teach the lesson differently if you taught it again?
9. Did you do anything differently than usual? What happened?
Questions about students
1. Did you teach ALL your students today?
2. Did they contribute actively to the lesson?
3. How did you respond to different students’ needs?
4. Were the students challenged by the lesson?
5. What do you think students really learned from the lesson?
6. What did they like most/least?
Questions to ask yourself as a language teacher
1. What was the inspiration behind the lesson taught?
2. What are my strengths as a language teacher?
3. What are my limitations at the moment?
4. What satisfaction do I derive from teaching?

IHCYLT/Journal Writing | 2012 1

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