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Diary Of A Downfall, Christa J. Theilen

Culminating Projects in English

A diary study is an intense, reflective look at teaching experiences or learning experiences kept in a journal by an individual and analyzed for recurring patterns or themes. When done by teachers, these studies can show how teachers' perceptions of themselves and their attitudes about teaching change over time. I started keeping a personal diary of my teaching experience when I began my first teaching job in a small, rural district in southwestern Minnesota. As the district's first ESL teacher and coordinator, I faced many problems, frustrations, and setbacks. The way I dealt with my negative experiences was to write …