Education: How Journaling Helps Our Children Connect (3) Lesson Pack

Journaling

forLife

Use these creative mindful journaling activities with your students to help them cultivate an increased emotional awareness and to encourage self discovery.

from the mindfulness series

Journaling is life long gift for every child

Conscious Childhood

additional content & lesson plans

Mindful Journaling Prompts

Keeping a Daily Journal:

How journaling can help our children connect to their own emotions and experiences.

By Carolyn Kanjuro

This deck of 30 playful cards will help young children navigate through difficult emotions with a variety of fun activities.

Grades 2 -6

Journaling, as a tool for mindfulness, has emerged as an influential trend in Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and for good reason: self-awareness and self-reflection help our students better connect to their own emotions and experiences, gain more selfknowledge and cultivate an increased mind -body connection. Expressing thoughts onto paper, through journaling, provides children with an effective outlet to release negativity by checking their thoughts for validity, identifying patterns or triggers which affect their moods, re-directing attention on more productive thoughts, and noticing their growth by reviewing past entries. In addition, several academic studies have indicated that children, who journal on a regular basis, can significantly reduce their anxiety, depression and negative social behaviors and clear the path for more social and academic success.

“Putting feelings down on paper reduces activity in a part of the brain called the amygdala, which is responsible for controlling the intensity of our emotions”

GOOD VIBES: Gratitude Journal

The author, Julia Rivers, created a ready made journal with engaging writing prompts. Grades 3 -8

Matthew Lieberman, PhD Professor Social Cognitive Neuroscience

UCLA

Click on our website below for a full description & buying options

Visit our website for more content:

TIPS FOR SUCCESS:

1. Choose a regular time for journaling when children are a calm state like after lunch or at the end of the day.

2. Include soft instrumental music or a designated outdoor space so the children connect this activity with a positive experience.

4. Have a cover decorating activity so the children can personalize their own journal.

5. Remind children that thoughts are neither “good” or “bad”.

6. Privacy should be valued and respected.

THE MONKEY MIND: 30 Fun Ways for Kids to Chill Out, Tune In and Open Up.

A Place for Me

Objectives:

gradesK-8

- Students will understand that they can choose and create thoughts through imaginary sensory perception.

- Students will witness these thoughts and connect familiar senses and emotions to these thoughts.

Materials: A pencil, crayons, grade level writing paper or journal book

Part 1: Finding a Quiet Place Through Imagination

TEACHER / PARENT:

- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Now think about a place you know or can imagine that is a quiet place. This could be inside or outside. There may be some soft noises like a small animal, water or wind blowing through the trees. This is a place where you feel safe and calm. Can you feel anything here like a cozy blanket, warm sun or cool grass beneath your toes? What can you touch in this place and how does it feel? Can you smell or taste anything? How do you feel inside when you are here? Now you can rest here for a moment or two and breathe in this soft gentle place.

Part 2: Drawing / Journaling

TEACHER / PARENT:

- I want you to slowly open your eyes and remember all the things you saw and all the things you felt about this quiet place. Draw a picture of something you saw. Add more pictures as you think of them. Write a few words around your picture that describe your place and how you felt inside.

Part 3: Reflection / Assessment:

- Students will be able to answer the question, “Who is imagining this special place?” with the answer, “I am”.

TEACHER / PARENT:

- Everyone here has created their own special place. If I were to ask you, “Who is imaging this place in your drawing, what would you say?” (Help each child understand that the answer is “I am.” )

- So in conclusion, you are not what you think about. You are the one who can see your thoughts and you can create new thoughts.

Part 4: Extension

- Students should be encouraged to continue to journal in this way about real and imaginary places.

TIP: Offer to spell and write feeling and descriptive words on the board for younger grades. Older students can use journal to write complete sentences or paragraphs

Wrapping up the Week

Objectives:

grades3-8

- Students will develop a habit of journaling as a tool for self- reflection.

- Students will develop a gratitude practice for daily “glimmers”

- Students will record areas of positive growth and note progress.

Materials : A pencil or pen, journal book.

Part 1: Self Reflection through Mindfulness

TEACHER / PARENT:

- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Now take a moment to reflect on this past week. A “glimmer” is a small unexpected pleasure that you experienced, something that was pretty, sweet, cozy, or just nice in some way – something that made you smile or feel loved. (give examples) . Describe any of your “glimmers” in your journal.

- Now choose one of these prompts to write about this week, or use one of your own. Please include any thoughts or feelings that came up for you.

• Something I really enjoyed this week was...

• I contributed as a team player this week when I …

• This weeks proudest moment was when I …

• Something I did for someone else was …

• A new hobby, sport or activity that tried is…

• One challenge I faced this week was…

• One time this week when I felt calm and peaceful was..

• This week I had a worry that turned out to be OK…

• A friend that helped me this week was when…

• Something that I am always grateful for is …

Part 2: End of Month Reflection / Assessment:

Addyour own prompts

- Students will self- assess, by reviewing their journal entries each month and writing a reflection of the previous month.

TEACHER / PARENT:

Take a moment to look back and read your journal entries. Now I’d like you to write a little note of encouragement to yourself on that entry page like “way to go” or “you’ve got good friends” or “keep trying” or “you are a good person”. Then circle your note.

Part 3: Extension

- Students should be encouraged to continue journaling all year round.

TIP: Privacy in journaling is important. Children may wish to share but should not be required to do so .

Check My Thoughts

Objectives:

grades6-8

- Students will understand that their thoughts can be challenged for accuracy and helpfulness.

- Students will learn to witness thoughts without judgement.

Materials : A pencil or pen, journal book.

Part 1: Awareness of Unhelpful Self-Talk

TEACHER / PARENT:

- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Take a moment to reflect on this past week. Was there a time this week when you felt fear, worry or you engaged in negative self talk and you just couldn’t stop the thought? The following list has examples of uncomfortable thoughts to give you some ideas. Write a a few sentences about what happened that caused your uncomfortable thoughts. Describe your feelings.

• I am expected to do something that I just can’t do ..

• Some people don’t like me because ____and that’s why I feel alone.

• I feel like something bad is going to happen because…

• I’m not happy because I don’t have enough good things in my life like…

• I wish I was more clever, athletic, attractive , etc.. because …

• I feel guilty or ashamed of myself because ____and now I think I am ___.

• If I try to do this, people will laugh at me and that will hurt too much.

• Why can’t I get anything right. I messed up again when I….

Part 2: Reflection / Assessment:

- Students will self- assess, by reviewing their journal entry and check validity of their thoughts with a list of questions.

TEACHER / PARENT:

- Now let’s check your thoughts. I’d like you to write a response to one of these examples of uncomfortable thoughts in your journal. Then write an answer to these questions under your journal entry:

1. Do I have enough evidence to know for sure that this is true?

2. Is this thought helpful or inspiring? Does believing this thought help me move toward bringing my gifts, talents, and kindness to the world, or does this thought get in the way of my hopes and dreams?

3. What could I consider as an alternative way of looking at it?

4. How would I feel if I did not have this fear, worry or concern?

5. Who could you talk to about this thought to help check for accuracy?

TIP : Although thoughts should not be judged as good or bad, they should still be questioned for validity. Preteens may feel vulnerable, so privacy should be respected.

title:

Choose a journal topic or prompt. Respond to the prompt by following the instructions in the lesson. You can write in a mindfulness journal, writing paper or use lines below:

name:

Visit our website for more content: https://www.ConsciousChildhood.org © Conscious