The Drama Journal

Performances are rarely the only area where learning occurs in the drama classroom. What goes on during instruction, what happens in rehearsals and group work, how problems arise and are solved — these are all elements which can't be quantified in a final product. Journaling provides a way for students to record, track, and reflect on their journey from the beginning of the year to the end.

Journals are also a great place for students to generate and gather source material for creative writing. Most drama classes will include a writing project of some kind and the journal is one way to keep material in one place.

What should go into a drama journal?

• Questions and answers
• Reflection on a particular exercise or class
• Evaluation of a student's own work and the work of others
• Personal growth tracking
• Challenges and possible solutions
• Expectations and goals
• Ideas/research/source material for creative writing
• Character work for a scene
• Reactions to performances
• A record of achievements and areas of improvement

What should stay out of a drama journal?

A journal is not a diary, it is a classroom tool. It's easy for students to misunderstand the purpose of the drama journal. Reflection is different from writing in a personal diary. It's one thing to criticize yourself or a fellow performer; it's another to critique a performance, providing reasons for your opinion and offering suggestions for improvement. It is in this way that journaling is a learning tool and an opportunity to improve a skill.

How do I ensure quality work from my students?

Journal entries should use complete sentences unless otherwise specified (e.g., a collage). Every journal entry should start with the date. A standard length should be between 200 and 300 words.

In terms of content, the purpose of journal entries is to show that the student understands and is able to comment thoughtfully on a specific experience, using examples from class. There has to be more than, “This was good, this was bad, I don't know what I learned.” There has to be effort. Having said that, some students don't know where to start and thus offer shortened answers simply because they have never had to write in this manner before.

To encourage a fully realized response, journal entries can follow two templates:

1. The WHAT of the situation followed by the WHY.
If a question asks students to give their opinion (WHAT struck you about the performance of Group A?), they must follow up their opinion with reasons WHY. This way, students can practice moving beyond simply criticizing what they see, because they have to back up their opinion. Students should be aware that the WHY is the most important part of the answer because it shows thought and consideration.

2. The WHAT of the situation, followed by the HOW.
The HOW portion of the answer allows students to break down experiences beyond blanket statements. It's more than, “I acted in a scene.” Students have to consider how they approached the character, how they worked in their group, how they came up with the blocking. Here are some WHAT/HOW examples:

• What exercise did you do? How did you approach it?
• What was the audience response? How would you evaluate your work?
• What can you change for next time? How can the exercise change?
• What was the outcome of the exercise? How can you improve?
• What did you learn? How will this apply to future exercises?
• What did you dislike about the exercise? How can you improve the experience for yourself?
• What was it like to work with your group? How well do you work with other people?

You know your students best. You know if the act of old fashioned pen and paper writing in a notebook will inspire or repel them. Maybe they make videos instead. Maybe they create collages. The form of the journal is not as important as the act. Analysis, reflection, creative expression, self-evaluation, and peer-evaluation are what matters. Journaling is a skill that will serve your students for years to come.