For the last month or so I have been keeping a journal. Initially I was focusing very much on what happened and then as I read Reader 2 and the chapter 'Using journal writing to enhance professional practice' by Boud, I began delving into what I could draw out of the situations I was writing about. I think everyone has those days when you feel like the day was a waste of time, but I no longer have those days! Now I have discovered that I am learning all the time and sometimes it is the aspects that annoy me or the things that I have taken for granted which have taught me the most. This has been enlightening because it can transform those days for me.
I have been writing a combination of hand written and electronic journals so that I can analyse whether this has a bearing on how I write and what is unveiled from my day. I discovered that actually when I write by hand I get frustrated at not being able to write faster and this means my writing becomes messy and I leave out punctuation. However, I did also find that when writing by hand I was able to express myself in a more personal manner, where as when I write on the computer there is a tendency to write for a specific audience. Perhaps because it feels like work. As Boud states ''The expectation of writing for an external audience can profoundly shape what we write and what we allow ourselves to consider'' (Boud, 2001, p 15)
I am currently in the process of trying out the different frameworks for writing my journal based on Nola Reid and Moon. I am finding it fascinating, as every day I feel like I am uncovering something different about myself and my work.
Bibliography
Boud, David (2001) 'Using Journal writing to enhance reflective practice' in (English and Gellen (eds). (2001) Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education, New Directions in adult Education No.90 San Francisco: Josse Bass, 9-18
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