Math Journals

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): I'll usually use this phrase to begin mass emails.

1. Each of my students will need one "composition book" to use for taking notes in class (narrow or college Ruled - up to the student)

2. I will take up and grade student journals (mostly for effort) once per quarter

My wife and I have three college-aged children (Our daughter is on path to graduate from Bellarmine this year - fingers crossed), and what we have noticed watching them and their friends through high school AND what we have heard consistently from every single college professor or advisor we have spoken with: 

Today's students, across the board, face three major challenges:

1. Time Management

2. Study Habits

3. Note-taking

I believe incorporating a journal into my class may help with all three. 

1. Note-Taking - This is probably the most obvious connection to journal use.  EVERY MATH SKILL I TEST AND GRADE WILL BE COVERED IN SOME FORM DURING CLASS.  It is absolutely possible for a student to learn everything they will need to ace any of my tests simply by paying attention, participating, and taking notes.  Textbooks and web-based instructional videos are excellent sources, and I encourage them, but good note-taking CAN be enough.  I will do everything I can to point out and emphasize things worthy of scribbling down during class.  I will happily answer clarifying questions, and I truly hope students will reach out to me, each other, other teachers, and peers outside of school to broaden their comprehension of the skills we engage.

2. Study Habits - I refer to this as "re-engaging with the content," and it does not need to be terribly long or complicated.  On average, students should fill 1-3 pages in their journals each day of class.  Effective studying can be as simple as re-reading those notes at home for 10-15 minutes, dotting "i's," crossing "t's," completing unfinished fragments of sentences or drawings, and re-working through the examples.  It is definitely not a requirement, but I have seen students who completely re-write their class notes later into a separate (neater/more complete/more organized) journal at home.  I have also seen students who annotate their notes, using colored highlighter schemes to categorize the contents.  Both of these strategies are above and beyond, but are also very effective, and I have never seen a student employ either or both of these strategies and still struggle with academic success.

3. Time Management - In a nutshell: Usually 1) we will spend a number of class periods on a set of skills, 2) we will spend one class period on review, and 3) we will spend one class period taking the test.  One thing I intend to build into review days for our larger assessments is a "Notecard Activity."  During this time, students will have 15 minutes to sit at their desk with their journal out (and only their journal) and copy anything they want from it onto their notecard.  I will provide the blank notecard, and will take it up at the end of the 15 minutes.  On test day, I will give the notecard back to each student for reference during the test.  Obviously, students who are diligent taking notes, reviewing notes, and taking steps to organize and highlight the "important stuff" in their journals could gain a powerful tool.  The time management aspect of this is that I hope they will begin to see the larger picture: the flow of the curriculum and how it is easily manageable in small chunks "as you go," leaving plenty of time to do likewise with their other classes.  Leaving one big chunk to manage at the end = far more difficult!

Primary Take-aways:

1. Again, each of my students will need one "composition book" to use for taking notes in class (narrow or college Ruled - up to the student)

2. I will grade journals (mostly for effort) once per quarter

3. I want each journal to be an effective and fun format for the student's journey through class

   1. 1. Don't erase mistakes - work through them and re-write a corrected version (good strategy - 1st in pencil, corrections in ink)

      2. Neatness is "nice" but not essential.  Journals are tools for the student, not me.  ...good faith effort is the key.

      3. Some students are more art-ish than others.  Doodling is welcome ...as long as there is also "math"ling.

4. Many of my handouts will be on half-sheets of paper.  I do this on purpose ...fits nicely in a composition book.

   1. 1. I will have a stapler and tape available in class.

      2. If a student prefers clips, glue, or washi tape ...go for it!

5. I will take up journals for a couple days when I grade them, but otherwise journals should live in students' backpacks.

   1. 1. They are for studying ...they shouldn't stay crammed in a locker or left in the classroom.

      2. I will have paper available in class in case a journal is left at home.

      3. *Important* When I take up the journals, students will not have access to them for other classes.  A multi-subject notebook might not be the best plan.

6. When in doubt, parents, have students show you their math journal.

   1. 1. They should be writing in it every day of class.

      2. They should be reviewing and clarifying what they write at home.

      3. They should be able to point to written examples of what we are covering in class.

      4. One of the big frustrations I had to work through with my own children was how little they retained from classes earlier in the day.  I learned, instead of just asking them how their day was, to have them show me an example of a problem they worked on.  It is my hope that the journals will simplify this process for you in case you would like to be involved.

      5. You are ABSOLUTELY encouraged by me to weigh-in on anything I send students home with.  They should do their own work, naturally, but the more voices that come together in helping these children learn, the more meaning it will have and the more effectively it will stick with them in the years to come.