33 Going Back to School Journal Starters

Going Back to School Journaling Ideas for Kids—

Back to school season is one of the most exciting times of the year for students and teachers alike! For students, it’s the perfect time to brush off those dusty notebooks, say hello to old friends, and set brand new goals for the coming months ahead—and for teachers, it’s a time to meet new faces, settle back into a comfortable routine, and share all kinds of new lessons and learning tools with open, young minds.

In these 33 all-new journal prompts, your students will have the opportunity to sit down and think about everything that awaits them in the coming year. Ranging from practical to fanciful, students will consider topics such as how to be a better classmate, how much influence their friends have over them, and what school may be like for students in the future. As they reflect on what they learned last year and think about what they most want to learn this year, your students will come to a place of openness and excitement about all the classes and projects that await them.

Use these new journal prompts to get your class ready for the brand new school year—and to help them develop some common goals for their learning!

Going Back to School
33 New Journal Starters for Kids

How can you be a better student this year? Write about three things you can do to help your teacher.
How can you be a better classmate this year? Write about three things you can do to improve your relationships with your classmates.
What does it feel like to go back to school after summer? Are you happy? Excited? Nervous? Tired? Curious? Choose three emotions you feel when you think of the new school year and write about each one.
Write about the best book you read over the summer. What did you like about it? What could have made it better?
Imagine that you are a student going back to school 100 years from now. What kinds of things would be different? What would still be the same? Write a story from the perspective of the future student.
Write a story about a first day of school that doesn’t go exactly as planned for one class…
What is the hardest part of going back to school? Why?
What is the best part of the school day? Do you have a favorite class? Do you love lunch and recess? Is it getting to see your friends? Write about the one thing you enjoy most each day.
If you could change any one rule at school, which would it be? Why?
Think back on everything you learned in _____ grade. What was the most important thing? What was the most memorable thing?
What part of being in _____ grade are you most excited about? Why?
What do you want to be when you grow up? Has that dream changed as you’ve gotten older? Why or why not?
Do you think grades are important? Why or why not?
Set three goals for yourself to achieve during the upcoming school year. What are they? How will you make them happen?
What is one thing that could make your daily routine at school more interesting? Why would it improve your day?
What does it mean to be an active participant in the classroom? Why is that important?
Write a story about a student with a dog that has a real taste for homework—how does the student get his or her work done in time?
What is one thing that you’re proud of learning last year? How can you use that knowledge to improve your learning this year?
What are you most excited to learn about this year? Why?
Why is it so important for kids to go to school?
Would you rather have a little bit of homework every night or a lot of homework to do all at once over the weekend? Why?
Do you think that your friends have much influence over you? Why or why not?
What are three qualities that make someone a good teacher? Why are these qualities important?
Do you ever feel like your hobbies or interests outside of school support your learning? Or can some of your interests distract you from your schoolwork? Why or why not?
What is your greatest talent? How can you use that talent in the classroom this year?
What is your greatest weakness? What can you do to improve upon it this year?
Write a “school pride” poem about our school. Include details about your favorite places in the school, your favorite teachers, and your favorite school events!
What is your favorite part of going to school? Why?
What makes a classroom a good place to learn? What factors help you focus and what factors make it hard to concentrate?
If you had to help another student who was struggling to get his or her homework done, what would you tell the student to do?
What is one thing you could do this year to become a better person? How will you do it?
Write about something that most of your classmates don’t know about you.
Choose one thing in the classroom and write about it using as much detail as you can (without giving away what it is). Then, trade your writing with a few other classmates and try to guess what the other people were talking about.