During this crazy time we are living in, we decided pretty early on that we wanted - no, what we needed - our students to do was to be writing daily while at home. We wanted them to record their thoughts, feelings, and experiences while sheltering in place. We aren’t alone. Our favorite teacher/ author, Kelly Gallagher also is having his students writing from home.

We knew that we wanted to create something that students could look back on for years to come and that reflected their unique perspectives and interests. We wanted to create a journal that we could share remotely that focused on student centered reflections of this unprecedented time period.

There have been several studies that show how beneficial it can be to practice journaling daily. The American Physiological Association lists some benefits as reduced stress levels, improving working memory, improved focus, less emotional reactivity to situations, and more cognitive flexibility . HELLO? Isn’t that like everything we try to improve in a classroom?

The Coronavirus journal we created covers many different aspects of self reflection and provides activities for self growth. We have also added spaces for students to record their unique interests, activities, and thoughts during this unprecedented time in their lives. We didn’t want to focus on only the negative aspects of staying home, we also wanted students to think about what positive things can come from being surrounded by family, and what new traditions and memories are being made.

When it comes to practicing journaling, repetition is key. Research suggests that in order to re-wire neural pathways, journaling should be practiced for 10 minutes a day for 30 days. Reflecting on daily experiences can be difficult for many students. The more time they spend reflecting on their lives and beginning to set goals for themselves, the easier it will become. That is why we created unique backgrounds and engaging questions that would make our journal a fun way for our students to create a one of a kind time capsule they can return to again and again as the years pass.

We added the Coronavirus journal as a PDF to our Showbie accounts, and students write on the journal pages online. Just as easily, the journal pages could be added to a Google Classroom or printed out and made into a book for students. We can’t wait to read through what our students have been writing in their journals. In a time when it seems so hard to stay connected with our students, we know that reading and discussing their journal entries will help to keep us all tethered together and will only help to strengthen our class community.

Creating a Coronavirus Time Capsule for Our Students