Task 2A and 2B - Keeping a Journal

Keeping a journal…….

Well this is something that I have never done successfully before. On reading that I had to start a journal, initial panic set in. I always feel that by the time I get home from school, get things sorted in the house (Dog, tea, cleaning, washing etc etc) that I will have forgotten about what I have done during the day. My thoughts on what I should do didn't materialise until about day four, more on that later.

I started by following the ‘list’ set out in the BAPP Handbook, I started on Day 1 with Method 1 ‘Description’, followed by Day 2 with Method 2 ‘Initial Reflection’ and so on and so forth.

Here are some quick thoughts on the various methods.

Description

This I found easy to do. Writing about one, two or several events that happened during my day, I found the events easy to recall and easy to write about.

Initial Reflection

This method I found a little more difficult. Trying to recall at my feelings, thoughts, mood and if anything unexpected happened at the end of the day was a harder task for me. I did manage this but it took longer than day 1’s task.

List

Making lists is something that I love to do, however this list would prove to be the longest list I have ever written, and by far the most complicated. My list became very complicate because as I write it I added bit here and there, then added some more, and then maybe another bit here…! Oh good lord, it looked a right mess with arrows and circles round different sections, and far too difficult to follow! It looked more like an extract from the Graph and Chart day coming up. An epic fail on my behalf.

Graph, Chart and Diagram

After yesterday’s list disaster, I decided to try these methods next. I found this a real challenge as making a graph or diagram is something that does not come easily to me. I started by writing my thoughts down and trying to think about how I would relate them to my thoughts from yesterday.  I chose three aspects of my day and compared my stress levels on these three different occasions.  It wasn't as successful as I would have liked.

Evaluation

This came easy to me, as I have to evaluate every lesson/group/performance of my day. I generally find this an easy task, and I must say that this method was by far my favourite one.

What if…….?

Good lord, this one went on a bit. After choosing an particular difficult incident of my day to this section, I did find that I rambled on and on and on, and then on a bit more….! The outcome was totally unrealistic and I got far too carried away.

Another View

I pondered this for a day before choosing an object that was with me for the whole working day, saw everything that I did and was something that was a little ‘off the wall’. I chose The Whiteboard. Didn't work very well, partly because I felt silly writing about my day from the perspective of a Whiteboard, and partly because I couldn't think of what the Whiteboard would have seen from myself and others in the room. All in all not very successful.

As I said earlier, I did have a slight light bulb moment about day four. Why don’t I amalgamate two or three of the styles of writing my journal that I find the easiest to write and that I feel will suit my day best. I decided to blend the styles of Description and Evaluation together.

                This work so much better for me. My journal is easier to follow, I can update with short bursts during my day and the elaborate later in the evening. I found it easy to write lots about one or two incidents during the day and also include feeling in these. Feelings are something that I do not normally write about in my daily evaluations and this took a little more thought and patience than I expected, but once I got going it became almost a second nature when writing my daily journal.