Task 2: Further reading...

Having started my diary a few weeks ago and shared my initial thoughts on Journal writing I have begun to do some extra reading. Other than the obvious use of 'reflection', I was struggling to break down the key benefits of keeping a Journal, however having read extracts of 'Uses and benefits of journal writing'  by Roger Hiemstra, I now feel more confident in the break down of uses and how to use these to examine my own writing.

Hiemstra lists the benefits as:

-personal growth and development
-intuition and self expression
-problem solving
-stress reduction and health benefits
-reflection and critical thinking

Personal growth and development
Hiemsta talks about journalling  'allowing for a freedom of expression that may be inhibited in a group setting' ,and this I completely relate to. As your diary is private you are free to do all the things you shouldn't do or feel reluctant to do in a formal setting; moan, ramble, be overly imaginative, dream, and swear! He also mentions 'planting seeds of ambition' and this is definitely something that features in my journal, having re-read a few days my ambition and want to succeed definitely shows.

Intuition and self expression
Hiemstra discusses the increase of self confidence and an ability to trust the inner voice in this section and I feel that this really applies to me. Looking beyond the journal, this module very much involves trusting your inner thoughts and being brave enough to blog about them, branching out into your own thought process and discovering new ideas along the way. The difference is that when blogging, you question yourself as to whether what you are writing is deemed 'correct', whereas in a diary there are no such boundaries. By being encouraged to write not only via blog but also keeping a journal I feel much more self confident in my academic abilities, for a start. After three years at dance school I felt my A level in English had been wasted and that I had forgotten everything I was taught at school, but I slowly feel that the academic part of my brain might slowly been warming up again! When writing my journal I really enjoy letting lose and truly expressing all of my feelings towards anything that has happened during the day (very Bridget Jones). The exclamation marks and cap lock text features heavily if my day has been stressful in anyway and it has been very interesting so far hearing my 'inner voice' back as I re-read my daily piece. Whereas my blog work, although relatively casual in approach, is still formally presented and thought out, my diary really sounds like, me.

Problem solving
 'I recommend to my students who are engaged in one of the journaling procedures that they allow adequate time in their reflecting processes for new perspectives to emerge.' Hiemstra.
I feel that I am too early in the journalling process to truly reflect on this but as the above quote states, allowing adequate time for new perspectives to emerge is key, so thats a blog for the future!

Stress reduction and health benefits
As I discussed in my last blog, I was already aware of the health benefits of journal keeping. (I won't go into it again!) But it really does work. When you are prone to over thinking and in my case struggled to sleep due to my thoughts, a diary works wonders, allowing you to move your thoughts from brain to paper and therefore helping you relax. I have had a few very stressful days at work recently and have found my journal to be, yet again, a huge help in de-stressing which stops me from dragging work issues home with me and taking them out on someone else! Ranting via pen and paper is just as good, although sometimes the pen struggles to keep up!

Reflection and critical thinking
...and this lead to the overall aim! In my diary I try to end each entry now with a little reflection if there is anything in or out of work that I would have done differently during the day. A few work related reflections have consisted of situations in the class that I might have handled differently and ideas that come into my head as i'm writing about things I can do in my next lessons to expand on that weeks learnings. I have also started to compare the ways in which my 'work reactions and responses' differ to the way 'normal me' reacts and responds. I often think as 'the teacher' as a role. Its a part to play, and although 'the teacher' has many similarities to me, and I try to be as down to earth with the kids as possible, the person I play in the classroom is obviously very different to what I am like at home. Having already reflected on these differences in my journal I am going to start trying to infiltrate some of my teacher attributes into every day life, as after exploring this I think many of these teacher qualities are a better alternative to my own. As a teacher you have to be understanding, you have to listen, you have to explain things rationally and I try as a teacher to not raise my voice unless seriously called for! Where as in real life, I don't always follow these traits, (at home I hate having to explain something more that once and I have a habit of holding very strong views that I struggle to see different sides of).

The irony of it all is that by blogging about the first stages of my journal, I have in essence reflected on reflection......AND ON THAT NOTE I AM GOING TO LAY DOWN.

LLx