A 7-year-old might write:
“I felt frustrated because I couldn’t finish my puzzle. My tummy felt tight. I took a break and asked for help.”
A 10-year-old might write:
“I felt excited because I was picked for a game. My heart was beating fast, and I smiled a lot.”
When used regularly — for example, once a week or after key emotional moments — the journal becomes a powerful routine for building self-awareness and emotional vocabulary.
The teacher plays a key role in supporting the development of this skill. For instance:
- During early sessions, the teacher may offer emotion word banks, body maps, or example prompts (e.g., “Think of a time today you felt really happy or really annoyed”).
- As children journal, the teacher can circulate and gently prompt deeper thinking:
“Can you remember what happened just before that emotion started?”
“Where else do you feel that emotion in your body?”
“What do you usually do when you feel that way?” - After several weeks, the teacher might encourage children to look back at past entries to notice patterns (e.g., “I often feel nervous before group work,” or “Drawing helps me calm down”).
- In a small group setting, the teacher might guide reflective sharing circles using anonymized examples from the journals (always with consent), showing how emotions are common, manageable, and shared.
By consistently modelling curiosity and respect toward emotions, the teacher fosters a safe climate where emotions are seen not as distractions, but as valuable information to understand oneself and others.