The question of where journal writing fits into grading policy is one that comes up all the time. Teachers ask how to grade journals, and part of that question is what to do with writing that is informal, chaotic, messpelled, and otherwise outside the expectations of your worst  memory of a Warriner's-wielding English teacher. A similar question comes up when teachers fret that the unique shorthand of text-messaging and instant messaging will ruin young people's ability to write properly. (Of course, this begs the question of what "proper" writing is. Is it accurate expression of ideas? Is it conformity to the standards of written English? And who is entitled to answer these questions, anyway?)

Would I accept a formal essay from a student that was written with text-messaging abbreviations, or other informal language? Absolutely not. I have often told students “This sounds like you were wearing a t-shirt and jeans when you wrote it. Go back, put on a business suit, and rewrite it.” They always know what I mean.

Having said that, do I require journals to be written in perfect Standard English grammar? No, I want students to discover the power of their unfiltered thoughts on paper. When they have something to say that they believe is worth saying to others, that’s motivation enough to polish up the language.

Tackling grammar or spelling problems pattern by pattern has been more successful for me than mistake by mistake. Kids make the corrections I indicate, then make the same errors in the next paper. It's my hope that helping students to see the patterns in their errors enables them to take more and more responsibility for proofreading & correcting themselves. Teach 'em to fish, right?