EDITOR'S NOTE:

Journaling is a form of creative writing that is sometimes used in the Creative Writing Workshop, but more often, it is used after ANY workshop in some Rotation churches.  

Some Rotation lessons and curriculums make strong use of it as a "post-lesson" reflection. Others do not use it at all.

As the following discussion demonstrates, YOUR experience with journaling after a lesson may vary. Some have had success, others not so much. 

One critical aspect is the amount of time you have at the end of the lesson. If you're short on time, journaling typically gets squeezed out.  

We begin with an original post by member Jan FPC of Napa raising the issue of "what works":

Some of the questions those looking into journaling are asking include:

• Do you use journaling at the end of each session to reflect on the lesson?
• What if there isn't enough time?
• Does it make things too much "like school"?
• Can you really "reflect" if the time is rushed?
• Do you journal every week, or only once per rotation? 
• How do you handle journaling with younger children or those who might have difficulty writing? 
• Do you ever do journals on computer?
• Do you have spiral notebooks for each student? Do you have prepared sheets for each workshop with a different topic to be written about?
• Can anyone who has done this a few years affirm that the journals are a useful tool in future years (i.e. confirmation) or is it more to solidify learning as it happens?

IF YOU USE JOURNALING SUCCESSFULLY, PLEASE ADD WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.

YOU MAY ALSO ADD COMMENTS OF WHAT YOU'VE FOUND DOES NOT WORK.