Tell Me Something Good…

Like every good parent, I finally cleaned out my son’s book bag from last year at the end of the summer. In it, I found a collection of journals from his 1st-grade year. I suppose the teacher had kept the journal in the class throughout the year, which is why I had never seen it before.

I sat to read it and tears immediately ran down my cheeks. What I was reading was a whole year’s worth of “good things” written by my child. Of course, about 80% of the “good things” were about his best friend Jackson. Yet, it was so refreshing to read other things I never knew that brought my son joy. I knew he found excitement in getting new shoes and enjoyed our trips to Sky Zone. I knew how much he loved McDonald’s milkshakes and riding his 4-wheeler. But I didn’t recognize how excited he was that his cousin Jacob learned how to walk. I didn’t grasp how important our nightly games of nerf guns and tag were to him. I never realized how much he valued campfires and roasting marshmallows. I learned insightful aspects about my son through Ms. Witt’s daily journals.

Here are a few of his journal entries:

“I am happy because Jackson might come to my house today.”

“My dad is going to take me to Sky Zone today.”

“My mom played tag with me at night.”

“My little cousin knows how to walk.”

“My grandma took me to the park yesterday.”

I’m grateful Ms. Witt allowed her students to keep this journal throughout the year. As a teacher, I always took the time at the end of my class to read a “quote of the day” and allowed students time to share “good things.” It was a wonderful way for me to connect with their personal lives, build relationships, and develop a mindset of gratitude. However, after reading Cameron’s notebook I wish I had allowed students to write their “good things” in a journal. I would love for my students’ parents to hear the things students shared with me in class they may have never known. They would have gained insights from their own children if I had let students reveal their thoughts and opinions on paper.

As parents, we often assume we understand every aspect of our own kids. Yet, sometimes we are in such a rush going through life, that we don’t stop to let them write and process their thoughts. Reading Cameron’s journal and the things he cherished showed me new and unique aspects about his thinking. Overtime, I saw the confidence in his writing improve. At the beginning of the year he usually wrote one sentence and by the end, he had developed his writing skills significantly. I believe journaling increased his confidence. I encourage other teachers to develop a journal in their classroom to improve students writing abilities, build relationships, and give parents greater insights into their child’s thinking as well.

I also wish I had kept a journal of “good things” from my first year as a teacher. Yes, I can remember wonderful moments in my classroom, like the time I pranked my students by telling them they had to wear school uniforms for our revolutionary war unit. I recall great memories of students performing poetry in class, field trips, challenge days, dance contest, and skits students performed. But there are many memories and students I wish I had captured in journals. Whether you are a beginning teacher or halfway through your career, pick up a pen today and start your “good things” journal. Reflect on it often and remember all the “good things” about being a teacher.