Suggestion 29. Keep a journal

IF YOU WANT TO:

• Be well prepared

• Profit from your own mistakes

Keeping a journal.

One history professor has found it very effective to keep a brief journal or diary for each course. "After each lecture, I jot down a few notes about how the class went: explanations and examples that worked well and those that didn't, students' difficulties with the text, techniques for generating discussions, and so forth. If something went very badly, I correct it at the next meeting. For the most part, however, I keep the journal to help me improve the course next time."

Although a journal of this type could be beneficial to any teacher, its value is greatest for new instructors or for faculty members teaching a new course or a course they teach only every few years.

Limitations on Use of Suggestion

  Discipline:  None
Course Level:  None
 Course Size:  None
        Mode:  None

Copyright 1983 by the Regents of the University of California

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