I taught young children for forty plus years. Early on, I was influenced by Jean Piaget and came to believe that children learn best when all senses are involved in the process. Therefore, writing and reading instruction went hand in hand in my classes. I journaled, and my students kept journals. I never used lined paper, and I encouraged invented spelling to develop fluency.
Personally, I keep many kinds of journals: personal journals, travel journals, garden journals, journals of gardens we visit, and journals of books I have read. Before I retired, I kept professional journals.
In 2000, when our first grandchild was born I began a journal for him, and in 2003, one for his new brother. My goal was to bring us closer together by my observation of their lives, and to hope that in the future they would have a perspective of their lives before their memories began.
Two Pages from Duncan's Journal
Close up of the Great Great Grandparents' Cabin
Built Circa 1900 in Natchitoches Parish, LA
Duncan's Journal - Close Up
I determined early to be honest. The books are a narrative, embellished with photos and other materials related to events in their lives.
Duncan's Journal
I write when the mood strikes me. The kind of book you use matters little. I started with one 6” X 8” hard coverbook for stability. I use rubber cement to glue in the pictures and materials, and I’m now on a second volume for each.
Lorn's Journal
Lorn's Journal
I plan for Lorn and Duncan to have these journals when I die. I do show them the journals occasionally, but they show little interest. The journals are a chronicle of their lives from the viewpoint of a loving grandmother and very different from what their parents would make.
Olga Christopher McLaren, 77, taught in both public and private schools for 42 years. Some of her students are professional writers on the East and West Coast. She stays in touch with many of them. She’s been married to Theron for 57 years. She is the proud mother of Christopher and grandmother of his two sons. The Olga C. McLaren Poetry Endowment was established when she retired in 2002. So far 12 poets, including Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, have visited St. John’s School in Houston Texas as a result of this program.
