On-going Activities & Instructional Tips
Journals
Journal writing is an excellent way to allow the students to process the activities and experiences in which they
take part during the ProTeam class. Each student should be encouraged to keep a record of feelings, thoughts, and
information throughout the course. Specific journal assignments are included throughout the curriculum.
Students are asked to react to speakers, lessons, activities, observations, and field experiences and to complete
planning sheets and summary log sheets for their teacher-like experiences and their community service activities.
You may also use the journals for “outside of class” assignments such as responding to newspaper articles related
to teaching or education or other assignments that relate to learning. The journals are not designed to be busy
work, and the teachers should use the materials to assess student progress and their grasp of the ideas and concepts
being taught. Here are some ideas about possible entries:
v Write for five minutes about your best or worst school experience.
v Write about a feeling (“Whenever I fail at anything, I...”).
v Write about a favorite friend, teacher, music group, game, or sport.
v Write a letter expressing your opinion; for example, a letter to a recording artist offering your opinion about
their rap with violent lyrics.
v Write a reaction to something (a speech or article).
v Write an informational comment (“Today, I learned…”).
Many teachers make folders, create teacher-made journals, or purchase notebooks for their students. Other
teachers ask the students to use materials provided in class to design their own journals. Most teachers keep the
journals in class. Choose what works best for you and your students. Outside writing can be added with ease. (See
sample journal cover and inside pages at the end of this section.)
Some students may not be eager to share their writing initially. Be understanding as you move all students to a
confidence level that will allow all of them to share.
Talk with the language arts teachers in your school to establish an acceptable standard for all journal writing. You
may require that certain assignments be written in pen and that all writing be free of spelling and grammatical
errors.
Ask parents/guardians to join their son/daughter and do some of the journal writing as well. An alternative would
be to have the student interview his/her mother or father and then have the student include the parent's comments
in the journal assignment. A third suggestion is to invite parents/guardians into the classroom periodically to serve
as a panel to speak about some of the journal topics. For example, parents/guardians can write, be interviewed, or
speak on a panel about their best school experiences or their best teachers. To show that learning is a life-long
activity, a journal entry or interview could be based on the ProTeam student asking his/her parent/guardian, “What
have you learned today (or this week)?”
To the student:
If you have trouble with your journal writing, below are some suggestions for beginning. You do not have to use
these particular questions or ideas.
PROTEAM DREAMQUEST CURRICULUM
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