Journals for writing practice?

Often times, we keep hearing how reflection is a very important aspect of learning and growing. We all reflect in different ways if we do. And I’d like to believe that every one of us does reflect at some point of time. Writing a journal or just sitting and thinking, speaking to someone, talking to oneself or just meditating — these are all probably some ways we use to reflect.

I have been speaking to people and some think it is an action that people who are in the ideal mindset practise. They are in general the “misfits” that have nothing better to do and hence spend the extra time they always seem to have in reflecting.

As a practice, I have always encouraged children or adults I work with to write a journal everyday. At our school, at the end of every day, we all sit quietly in complete silence to write and reflect. Children find it difficult but tune in gradually. Adults resist this the most and it takes a lot to push them to reflect using this medium.

Parents come and ask me to give writing practice to children. I wonder why can journal writing everyday not be a form of writing practice? Why should the journal not be considered as an effective medium for writing practice amongst children and adults? Some say that they are not really conscious about spelling, punctuation, structure etc. when they write journals. I often wonder how we can write devoid these structures if these elements really have a place in our writing. Should grammar, punctuation, capitalisation, structure be a habit that we form and becomes part of our writing at all times?

Most often, I have found in my experience that journals are about how the day went and what were the feelings, emotions, experiences of the day and reflecting on one’s own response in various situations. Most of us like to write about this and whether we reflect or not we do try to express ourselves completely. Hence, this is definitely an effective way of practising writing. And who says a journal has to be continuous writing in the format of prose. I would encourage people to try different styles. What stops us from writing a journal in the form of a letter on one day, a poetry on the other, a narrative text on one day and a descriptive on the other…I would even extend this to writing in the form of a report, an argumentative text where on one day I am making choices or am in a dilemma.

Writing a journal everyday in a well engaged manner definitely promotes learning not only of oneself and the surroundings and each other but also helps one improve spelling, grammar, reading and also using concepts like literary devices in our writing.

So for me journal is not only a medium to reflect but a power tool to learn so many more concepts, practise so many language conventions and norms we follow when we “write”.

So pick up your books, a pen and start writing your journal and remember to be an EXPLORER always! There are no limits to our imagination and hence also to our journal writing…..