writing a self journal

• Journals need to be thorough and complete. Be sure you have answered all the questions 
• Journal responses should reflect significant self-reflection. Dashing off a few simple sentences will not suffice. You will need to consider each prompt carefully, and respond thoughtfully. Dig deep.
• Journals are assessed for: honest self-reflection, meaningful exploration/connections and real-life examples (first person recollections of things that have happened to you that support what you are saying)

some things to keep in mind ( this what the instroctor told me just to keep in mind) !!

 I am not judging what you say with a grade – I am assessing how you are writing about the things you choose to share.

·       If you ever have an emotional reaction to a grade: confusion, anger, disappointment, frustrationetc – accept that reaction, reflect on the purpose of journals in our course 

·       Journals are written for YOU; not ME. I am looking to see if you are exploring and thinking about topics that will help you grow as a person … not that you have crafted an answer that you think will satisfy me.

·       You should know more about yourself, or understand yourself better, after writing a journal response. I want to hear your VOICE in your writing. I want to know it is YOU writing as opposed to thinking it could be any student.

·       Journals are not graded like English papers – perfection (in format, structure and mechanics) is not required.

·       Keep in mind what the letter grades mean: A ‘C’ is not a “bad” grade. It simply means your response is AVERAGE or what I would expect from any ASU student on the criteria that I assess*. B’s are really good grades – above average and A’s reflect excellence/going above and beyond/very little-or no room for improvement. There is additional information on interpreting grades in Bb.

·       Journals are not graded for length, specifically. However, if your goal is to write an above average or excellent self-reflective journal response – that tends to take time, space and more words rather than less. Quality is more important than quantity, but there is a correlation between writing more and covering more of the assessment points.

* Honest self-reflection, “digging deep” (making meaningful connections and going below the surface of the issue) and supporting your statements with personal evidence (sharing detailed and specific life experiences that allow you to think through the statements that you make). 

OKAY, now I will type about the journal that i want,

you must answer these questions. 

Copy the scores from your self-assessment onto your journal page.  Looking over your scores, what surprises you the most about what you see?  What areas are you most concerned about?  What specific changes would you like to make this semester?  Why?

Reflect on this last week’s readings – how do the ideas in these articles connect to your assessment results, your experiences in college so far and your goals for yourself?

I will post a picture of my score from the self assessment test that I took by my own.