Dialogue Journal

Overview

This activity is designed to be used during the first week of classes, to start building rapport with students; it will, however, be used many other times throughout the course to check in with students. Students respond to a variety of prompts throughout the semester. This exercise allows the teacher to gather insights about their students, including strengths and struggles they may want to share. This activity also creates an opportunity for teachers to show that they care for their students by responding to each student’s submission in a personal and kind manner. Finally, check-ins like this are useful when stress mounts and students need an outlet to express their concerns or challenges.

Useful for

Forming a connection between students and the teacher
Creating space for students to reflect on and share their current level of well-being and how it may impact their performance in class
Reflecting on class activities, discussions, and lectures in real time
Providing an alternative means of communication for students who don’t feel comfortable speaking in class

Materials

Procedure

Share the purpose of the activity. Also, explain that the activity is to help give you, the professor, insight into their strengths and concerns as they move through the course.
Share the journal entry prompt, orally and in writing.
Model the activity. The first time you invite students to write in their dialogue journals, you might choose to share your own answers to the journal prompts with the class. While it is important to maintain some boundaries between your personal and teaching life, sharing personal stories is a powerful way of building connections. It shows your students that you believe they can honour your stories, and it invites them to reciprocate.
Offer students options for how they might respond: written, visual art, audio recording, video, etc. Not all students communicate well through writing, and it is best to allow them to communicate in the way they choose. Students may ask how long their answers should be. Tell them there is no minimum or maximum. You will read and comment on whatever they write. Some students might need more time to reflect on and respond to prompts. Consider allowing students to finish their responses outside of class time.
Collect dialogue journals at the end of each class, comment on students’ responses, and return the journals.
Continue the dialogue journal throughout the semester. This assignment typically begins in the first week of semester. Then, the journal entries should continue intermittently throughout the course.