“It Opened My Eyes”

Journal writing is pedagogically appropriate for increasing reflexivity and conscious awareness of one’s environment. The journal assignment discussed in this article promotes recognition of the impact of race, gender, and social class on students’ everyday lives. In pre- and posttest surveys of students engaged in this assignment, students report statistically significant increases in awareness after journaling. These increases in awareness are found for students enrolled in introductory courses at two very different universities (one a private Catholic midsized university in the Midwest and the other a large state university in the Southeast). Students’ qualitative responses further substantiate the effectiveness of this assignment in meeting course objectives. To facilitate use of this assignment by others, we identify a set of best practices to help ensure high-quality journals and discuss challenges and benefits of this assignment, including getting to know one’s students.