I have been writing a personal journal on and off from the age of thirteen. Starting this task prompted me first of all to look back on my most recent journal which I started in my second year of performing arts college. Although I wrote sporadically the journal follows my journey through college. The many doubts and challenges I faced onto securing my first professional acting job. You can see how some of my current opinions have been formed because of my past experiences. There is also naturally a lot written about my personal life.
Since I made the decision that teaching is something I wanted to pursue as a career as well as acting I have received some criticism. People saying, 'Oh so you've given up then?' - I don't feel this is true at all. Quite the opposite, I feel so motivated to educate myself. To evolve and continue to stimulate and challenge myself. Then to get the satisfaction of helping young people develop on their own journey. It pleased me to reread in my old journals that teaching is always something that I had talked about. I even wrote about pursing this course about three years ago. I'm glad that I could have that record to see how I've grown.
When starting my journal for this course I have consciously taken a different approach. I have still written about my emotions. You can't avoid the fact that your personal life will inevitably affect how you perform professionally. I have spent more time thinking about how I can channel them in a positive way, therefore improving my professional practise.
In my previous journal writing experience I could write whatever I wanted as it was for my eyes only. Now, especially when I am teaching, I am having to consider other peoples privacy. So far as I have been writing I have avoided using the names of the schools or nurseries that I am talking about. I know which I am talking about because of my schedule, where I would have been on any given day. At the moment I have used peoples names. If I decide to use any of these parts as evidence in my future work I would blank out the names and use false names and ensure that this is clear to the reader.
I am currently trying different techniques of journal writing and looking forward to seeing how this style develops and to how this will help me through the course. The course is new and different for me so I think the journal writing will help me to keep on top of things and to become an active learner.
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI think you raise an interesting point that a professional reflective journal is a very different tool to a private journal. I also like how you have taken professional etiquette into account by considering who will see your journal. Did you find Boud (2001) particularly useful for this aspect of the journal writing?
Have you found anything that help you when first writing your journal? Or have come across anything since then?
Jess.
Hi Jess,
DeleteI did find Boud helpful for that. I think in my first few entries I was too conscious of who might be reading though and found it probably stopped me from being as honest with myself as I should have been. After I read the section where he talks about being honest 'don't disguise what you don't know,' this helped me, as in our case no one has to see it if we don't want them to. That's why I have decided to tackle changing names etc if/when I use sections of my journal as future evidence.
Lisa
Yes, a good point. I have also decided to change names as and when needed.
DeleteJess.
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