Service Learning Journal Writing

The point of keeping a journal is to prompt people to notice what is happening, think about experiences, reflect on their meaning, and from that grow. The following is a list of suggestions for those who "don't know what to write." This list is given to make you think more about your experience reflectively.

About your work:

• What do you do on a typical day?
• How has this changed since you first began there?
• Tell about the best thing that happened this week: something someone said or did, something you said or did, a feeling, an insight, a goal accomplished.
• What is the most difficult part of your work?
• What thing did you most dislike this week? Why?
• If you were in charge, what would you do to improve it?
• If you were the supervisor, would you have volunteers do anything differently? Would you treat them differently?
• Tell about a person that you find interesting or a challenge to be with. Explain why.
  

About you:

• How do people see you there-as a staff member, friend, and student?
• What do you feel like when you are there?
• What did someone say that surprised you? Why?
• What compliments have been given and what did they mean to you? How did you react? What about criticisms?
• Did you take (or avoid) some risk this week? Were there things you wanted to say or do that you didn't say or do?
• What happened that made you feel you would or would not like this as a career?
• What kind of person does it take to be successful at the kind of work you do (as a volunteer)?
• What did you do this week that made you proud? Why?
• What feeling or idea about you seemed especially strong today?
• What insights have you gained into people? What makes them happy or sad, successful or failures, pleasant or unpleasant, healthy or sick?
• How similar is your impression of yourself to the impression others seem to have of you? Tell about something you learned as a result of a disappointment or failure.
• Think back on a moment when you felt especially happy or satisfied. What does that tell you about yourself?

(Adapted from Youth Guidebook for Developing and Operating Effective Programs, Conrad and Hedin)