Make Journal Writing Headache-Free in Your Middle School ELA Classroom
My brain was going numb looking at the same old journal prompts year after year.
I’d been cycling through the same ones over and over again with my middle school students, and the mere thought of coming up with fresh new writing prompts when my marking was piling up made me want to chuck my computer out the window.
But the kids still needed to write and reflect to support their SEL, improve self-regulation, all of that nonsense really important stuff.
So right then and there, in May of 2021, I grit my teeth and decided I never wanted to feel this deep pit of mind-numbing boredom again.
Fast forward 2 years, and I birthed The Ultimate Full Year of 600+ Journal Writing Prompts resource.
So that you and I never have to pull another writing prompt out of our fried middle school teacher brains ever again.
What’s in the Blog?
The Ultimate Resource: A Full Year of 600+ Journal Writing Prompts
It’s become sunshine and butterflies when it comes to journal writing in my middle school classroom, now that I have this Full Year of 600+ Journal Writing Prompts resource in my arsenal!
(Okay, maybe not ALL sunshine. I’m still going to have to pull teeth with some kids because they’re just “no” when it comes to writing anything.)
Even so, it’s so easy to do now.
No thinking involved.
I just pull up one of my MANY Google Slides, or I get the kids to pull out their printed workbooks.
There, on each page, are not 1 but 3 fresh, unique, identity-affirming prompts for the kids to consider, choose, and reflect on.
It took me 2 long, LONG, hair-pulling years to finish making this resource for us.
But now that I don’t ever have to come up with a new writing prompt ever again, I don’t regret a thing.
As time goes on, I’ll go back and tweak some of the prompts so that they remain culturally relevant to each generation of students.
But that’s better than wracking my brain every time I’m in need of something new!
All the journal writing prompts I’ll ever need are DONE and ready to go!
Why Journal Writing?
Why did I grind so hard for 2 years to make this resource?
Why was so much WORK worth it?
2 cheesy reasons.
Because our kids are worth it. And fellow teachers like yourself are worth it.
1) For the kids
TikTok, SnapChat, and all of the viral videos and brain-mushing content has created a new wave of unprecedented anxiety and poor self-regulation.
Not to mention the skyrocketing cost of living, our insane geopolitics, harmful polarizing rhetoric everywhere online…
WHEW.
Yes. Our kids need this.
Obviously regular journal-writing is not the quick fix solution to this systemic problem!
BUT, when incorporated into a relaxed, low-pressure routine, this CAN help combat overstimulation and improve SEL. It gives kids the space to just be still with their own thoughts, to affirm their identities in private, and to process their emotions in a healthy way.
All of this helps to improve self-regulation.
2) And for you, dear educator?
Who has the time to reinvent the wheel constantly??
That’s why I created this huge prompt bank so that none of us have to come up with fresh prompts ever again.
Our kids will benefit from journal writing, and we can provide them with the opportunity with no sweat off our backs. Win-win.
What Kind of Prompts are Included in this Journal Writing Resource?
Here are the kinds of prompts that I’ve collected for this Journal Writing Resource!
The prompts include, and are not limited to:
mental health and wellness introspection
opportunities for a creative outlet (sketching, narrative writing, etc.)
goal-setting (academic, social, extracurricular, etc.)
relationships with family and friends
reflections on how they recently dealt with conflict
humor, because life isn’t always that deep
…and so much more!
Let’s Get Started! Resources to Help
Okay so I knew that not everyone is going to want the full 600+ prompts, so I’ve given you options here too. Pick and choose which works best for you right now!
1) Full Year, 10 months Worth of 600+ Journal Writing Prompts Resource
This is the full resource, and also the one I’ve got cued up and ready to go every day.
The 10 months worth of 600+ prompts are split up into daily writing sessions.
Each day, there are 3 journal prompts to choose from. This is so that students have choice in what they’d like to reflect on.
Here are the different formats available:
Teacher’s Journal Prompts presentation (PDF)
Teacher’s Journal Prompts presentation (forced copy Google Slides)
Teacher Checklist (PDF)
Student Editable Notebook (forced copy Google Slides)
Student Printable Notebook (PDF)
This is for those who just don’t want to think about it anymore - one shot, and you’re done! Click here to grab the resource.
2) 1-week of 20+ Prompts Full Resource Sampler
This one is FREE when you sign up for our email list.
It includes 20+ prompts - completely unique to the full resource itself, so if you decide to go ahead and get the full 600+, there won’t be any repeats!
The prompts in this freebie, just like the full resource, are split into 1 week’s worth of daily journal writing, available in all the formats listed above.
Protip: you can take the 20+ prompts and stretch it out over an entire month as a weekly reflection, or stretch it over an entire year for a monthly reflection too.
The kids won’t get as much choice that way, but it’s certainly possible, especially if you don’t want to pay for the full resource (which I totally understand!).
Click here for the 1 Week of Journal Prompts Teacher Presentation and Student Workbook!
3) 1-week of 20+ Prompts Teacher Presentation Sampler
This one is also free, no strings attached!
If you’re curious but aren’t ready to commit to purchasing the full resource, here’s a free 1-week sample of the Teacher Presentation.
The prompts in this freebie are identical to the ones in the Full Resource Sampler above - unique, with no repeats with the paid version.
And just like the previous freebie, you can stretch these out too for an entire month or an entire school year, depending on how you structure your journal-writing time.
Speaking of how to structure your time…
BONUS: 5 Ways to Use Journal Writing Prompts in Your ELA Classroom
These BONUS tips are included in the full resource, but I know a lot of teachers have trouble wrapping their minds around how to structure their classrooms to include journal writing.
So I’ve included these tips here in this blog in case this challenge applies to you!
1) One Week of Daily Morning Bell-Ringers
As students trickle into the classroom, have them open their Journal-Writing notebooks right away and get going.
Provide the prompts on the board for kids to see as soon as they come in. Makes for a nice and quiet meditative time everyday right in the morning!
2) 7 Weeks of Literacy Stations
As you set up your learning stations for small group instruction, one of the independent activities can be to do some journal writing.
Print out copies of the prompts for students to have on hand in their folders or keep copies in your Literacy Station bins.
3) 7 Weeks of Weekly Reflection Time
Once a week, provide students with a long block of time to choose one prompt to go deep with.
This is especially effective with older students who have greater stamina for longer stretches of writing time.
I’ve done this on Friday mornings, just before they go into the weekend, and I’ve done this on Mondays, just as they begin their school week. Both options work well!
4) 7 Months of Monthly Reflection Time
Once a month, give your students some time to reflect!
Much like the Weekly Reflection Time, you want to make sure your kids have the stamina for longer stretches of writing time.
You can do this at the beginning of the month, or at the end of the month – it’s completely up to you to try and see what works.
5) Persuasive or Creative Writing Prompts
Some of these prompts work really well for certain writing assignments!
The opinion ones are great for persuasive writing, and the narrative-focused ones are effective story starters.
Save these to have in your back-pocket, ready to go when you launch a new assignment!
If you’re an educator who is wanting to, or has already, incorporated journal writing into your middle school classroom, I hope this blog gave you that extra boost that you needed!
Remember to choose the resource that is right for you, and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!
Email me at info@edcoachnetwork.com. I read every one 🙂
Here are the resources again for your quick reference, so you don’t have to recreate anything!
Happy journaling, friends!
Karen
