What Should Math Journal Entries Look Like?

Most likely, you will find it necessary as well as personally beneficial to model journal writing for your students. However, in modeling writing for students it’s important not to set high expectations for adhering to writing style, grammar and mechanics. Journal writing is an informal medium for communication. Teachers and students should not get wrapped up in formal writing conventions, grammar, and style. Eventually, you will help your students develop the ability to clearly explain their thinking process as well as translate their math writing and narrative into mathematical language using formal mathematical vocabulary; however, the first focus in teaching math writing is to get students familiar and comfortable with the idea of writing about math.

Students can be introduced to math journal writing by writing about their thought process in learning the topics in class. They should be encouraged to write freely and openly about their experiences and feelings about the subjects and process. It should be emphasized that there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ ways to express their thoughts. (Countryman, 1992)

Later, journal writing entries can focus on students’ math stories. Students should be encouraged to look for any instances in their daily lives where they are using math or mathematical skills. They can also relate any stories or unsolvable problems that they encounter. For example: they might be riding in their car with their parents and see advertisement for office space to lease. They could try to figure out how many 200 square foot offices could fit in this space. As their mastery and understanding of mathematical applications grow they could identify the slope of a wheel-chair ramp or the rate of change of the growth of interest paid on an accumulating credit card bill. Teachers can reward of give students credit for identifying applications of the concepts that they reviewed in class.

Students can be encouraged to use pictures and diagrams when necessary to illustrate concepts and their thinking or even to illustrate things that they are interested in. Some examples of journal entries can be found in Joan Countryman’s book Writing to Learn Mathematics.