Think of your journal as a way to practice writing. For some people, keeping a journal may mean recording the events of the day, but for others, keeping a journal may mean describing a particular event or impression or sensory experience. You can use your journal to describe people, do character studies, keep lists. You might record interesting first lines, opinions about readings done for school or outside of school, or you might describe the quality of the light. Perhaps you use the journal to do freewrites on prompts posted online or in our reader. In other words, the journal is for you; it's a private space to explore and record whatever you wish to. You are writing for yourself--have fun with it!
1. You can do an online journal or a paper journal; feel free to explore different mediums--your writing will change as a result.
2. Also feel free to experiment with different types of pen, ink, fonts, presentation, etc.
A request:
Please don't use the real names of other students and/or teachers/admin at the school in your journals. I don't want what you write to affect how I see/understand other people in our community. Thanks!
Note 1: I'll be checking journals every week but please know that I don't read them super-carefully--just enough to ascertain that you're doing the assignments. If there's anything you want me to read in particular, please bring that to my attention.
Note 2: Please know that if you write something in your journal that suggests you plan to do harm to yourself or to others, I may be required to report this to the school guidance counselor and/or administration. Usually what happens is that you and I will have a conversation first and then determine how to proceed from there.