The power of keeping a journal: Writing every day

By Newton Baker
Retired grade 4 teacher, Montpelier

"I am a writer."

Every student writer should be able to say that even while developing the skills and understanding of more experienced writers.

Writing is not about publishing a book. Writing is about using your five senses to observe the world around you and to communicate effectively to connect with others.

A powerful tool toward achieving this objective is the writer's notebook, a journal. Carried everywhere, the notebook serves as a way to capture important thoughts, to record observations most people never notice and to develop the habit of writing daily.

A writer's notebook can help young students understand that writing is not just about imaginary stories. It is critical that students connect to the idea that imagination and good stories are grounded in thorough observation based in real-life experience.

Fourth grade is a good time to encourage the habit of daily writing in a notebook carried between home and school. Young writers should continue to use a notebook throughout their education. And students who are ready can be urged to take their notebooks with them to other places they go.

Writers' notebooks contribute to learning across the curriculum. One learns to observe with the care of a scientist, looking for details, questioning, wondering and reflecting. Entries explore a writer's feelings, daily activities, hopes, dreams, fears, poems, words, adventures, family stories, preferences, books, sports, family and friendship.

A notebook is a place to feel safe with imperfect writing. It is a place a student owns, where he or she can explore and take risks and experiment. A writer's notebook is a seedbed. Writing in a notebook helps a student connect with his or her experiences in a personal way. It is also a way to build the writing culture within the class or the home.

Students need to know how to find writing ideas. Teachers should talk to them about how important thoughts, which happen anywhere and anytime, are good entries. Encourage them to write about their experiences -- moments, exchanges, anecdotes -- and get them to use all five senses to make personal observations. Model how to write thoughts, feelings and opinions as notebook entries.

A journal is NOT a diary; it is not a summary of a student’s day or your life. A journal is a place to have fun, to learn, to exercise, to write. Be specific, be brief. Write about specific thoughts, events, encounters, conversations, events or problems that occurred during the day. Use the journal to practice, to formulate your ideas. Use it to keep track of details.

Here are some things to emphasize:

Daily -- Write something every day.

Free time -- Write when you have free time; don’t wait until the end of the day.

One topic -- Write only about one memorable thing from the day; something that happened, a person you encountered, a thing you did, or a thought that flashed through your brain.

Details -- Description and details help make writing come alive. Observe closely and write down specifics: What was the person wearing? What color were they? What was the fabric? How did it move when they walked?

Dialogue -- Capture a conversation you heard or imagined; jot it down.

Memory -- Write an idea or observation down before it slips away.

Repeated thoughts -- Write about thoughts that keep coming back.

Enjoy -- Have fun with writing; find surprises.

Incubate -- Find an idea or thought to expand from your notebook.

Pay attention -- Be alive in the world through your five senses.

Play and compare -- "That looks like; that sounds like."

Keep lists -- Write down words, favorites, ideas.

Save photographs -- Use them as jumping off points for writing.

Imitate -- Choose an author or story and copy the style.

Read -- Students should learn how to “read” their journals: What are you writing about? What are some patterns, interesting phrases, observations? What ideas could be expanded? What details need adding? What kind of writing is not happening?

Newton Baker is an adviser to the Young Writers Project. Last year he retired as a teacher in Montpelier. He is an avid runner and a leader in the Vermont Chapter of The National Writing Project, a non-profit organization that works to train teachers on the techniques of teaching writing primarily through a summer fellowship. For more, go to National Writing Project or Vermont NWP.