Be sure to share these intentions with your students. All writers need to see a value and purpose for writing. Broadly speaking, there are five types of journal used in English. Often, teachers incorporate features of these different types into one journal that suits their needs and those of their students. Students record events in their lives, explore ideas, questions, fears, concerns and other thoughts, often not related to school.
Entries can include sketches, diagrams, doodles, cartoons, etc.
These journals are usually shared only with the teacher and close friends. If you are using journals for the first time, the personal journal is probably the easiest to begin with. However, because they tend to be unstructured and open-ended, personal journals do not appeal to all students. Over a period of time, the student and teacher carry on a written conversation, most often related to school work, but sometimes related to personal thoughts and feelings. The dialogue journal is a good place for compliments on student behaviour and performance.