Junior High Journal Prompts: Fostering Self-Discovery and Emotional Growth

50 Junior High Journal Prompts

Ever wondered how a simple journal prompt could unlock a world of self-discovery and emotional growth for junior high students? We promise you'll leave this episode with practical strategies and insights on how journaling can nurture self-reflection, confidence, and gratitude during those pivotal junior high years. Join us as we explore the fascinating blog post "50 Junior High Journal Prompts" from The Stallion, a resource tailored to help young minds navigate the often tumultuous journey of adolescence. With categories spanning from exploring friendships to setting meaningful goals, these prompts are more than just writing exercises—they're gateways to personal growth.

Throughout the episode, we highlight standout prompts, like envisioning advice from one's future self or acknowledging unnoticed moments of pride. These exercises aim to build inner confidence and foster a sense of gratitude that improves happiness and relationships. By encouraging young students to think critically about their experiences and aspirations, we show how journaling can serve as a powerful tool for self-discovery. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or curious about the transformative power of journaling, this conversation offers valuable insights into supporting the emotional and intellectual development of junior high students.

LeStallion offers premium PU leather journal notebooks for writing, dedicated to all those who are pursuing their dreams and goals, or nurturing their personal development and mental health.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, let's dive into something kind of
different.
Today it's all about juniorhigh and journaling.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Ooh, interesting.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Yeah, we're looking at this blog post called 50
Junior High Journal Prompts.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
It's from a website called the Stallion.
I guess they make journals too.
But these prompts they puttogether, they're supposed to
help kids, you know, reallythink about themselves.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yeah, that makes sense.
I mean, junior high is such atime of like figuring yourself
out, right.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Totally, and it's not just like what did I do today,
kind of prompts either.
These are like actually thoughtprovoking questions.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
So deeper than just like a diary entry then Way
deeper.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
They're divided into five categories.
There's self-reflection,exploring friendship, building
confidence, setting goals andexpressing gratitude.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
I like how they cover like all these different
aspects of a kid's life, youknow, because junior high is
about so much more than justschoolwork.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Exactly Like remember how intense friendships were
back then.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Oh my gosh, yeah, and the drama.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
So much drama.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
So let's look at some examples.
In the self-reflection category, One prompt asks if I could
talk to my future self, whatadvice do I think they would
give me about life right now?

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Wow, that's deep, like getting advice from your
older, wiser self.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
Right, it's almost like a time travel thing.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah, and you know, there's actually research that
shows encouraging kids to thinkabout their future selves can
help them stay motivated toreach their goals.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
That's interesting.
So it's not just like a funthought experiment.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Nope, it can actually be really beneficial.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Okay, let's move on to exploring friendship.
One prompt asks how do I feelwhen a friend cancels plans and
how do I respond?
So that I stay true to myself.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Ooh, that's a good one.
Especially these days withsocial media and everything Like
, how do you deal with thosekinds of situations without like
losing yourself?

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Yeah, it's all about boundaries, right.
Exactly and like figuring outwhat your own needs are which
can be tough in junior high whenyou're so focused on fitting in
.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Totally Okay.
What about building confidence?
Any interesting prompts there?

Speaker 1 (01:59):
Oh yeah, definitely.
There's one that asks what's atime I felt really proud of
myself, even if no one elsenoticed.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
That's so important, like recognizing your own
accomplishments, even if youdon't get like outward praise.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Yeah, it's about that inner confidence.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Exactly.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
Okay, let's switch gears to setting goals.
There's a prompt that says if Icould achieve one big dream by
the time I finish junior high,what would it be and why is it
important to me?

Speaker 2 (02:26):
It's cool how they frame it within the context of
junior high, you know, becauseeven though they're young, kids
can still have big dreams.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Right, and it gets them thinking about what they
really want.
Exactly All right, lastcategory, expressing gratitude.
What do we have there?

Speaker 2 (02:41):
There's one that asks what's?
A small thing I often take forgranted, but realize now how
much it matters to me.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Oh, I like that one.
It's all about appreciating thelittle things.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Yeah, and gratitude has been shown to like boost
happiness and improverelationships.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
So it's not just about feeling good.
It actually has real benefits.
Wow, okay, so we've gonethrough like a bunch of these
journal prompts.
What do you think so far?
Anything standing out to you?

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Hmm, let me think about it for a sec.
There are so many good ones.
You know I keep thinking aboutthat one with the future self.
Like it's such a cool way toget kids thinking about
perspective, you know.
Like what would their older,wiser self tell them?

Speaker 1 (03:21):
right, because when you're in junior high,
everything feels so huge anddramatic totally.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
But if you can step back and think about it from a
future perspective, it might notseem so bad.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yeah, Like maybe your future self would be like don't
sweat the small stuff.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Exactly or like.
You'll get through this.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
It's like having your own personal cheerleader from
the future.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
I like that.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
Okay, there's another one in the self-reflection
category that I thought wasinteresting.
It asks what's one thing I wishpeople understood about me that
they might not see right away.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
That's a good one.
It's all about, like thosehidden depths.
You know the things that makeyou you.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah, because sometimes people just see the
surface, but there's so muchmore going on underneath.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
Totally, and I think junior high is a time when kids
are really starting to figureout who they are, so it's
important for them to be able toexpress that Definitely.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, okay, how about we talk about friendship again?
There's a prompt in theexploring friendship category
that asks what do I admire aboutmy closest friends and what
qualities do I hope they see inme?

Speaker 2 (04:26):
Oh, I like that one.
It makes you think about bothsides of the friendship.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, it's not just about what you get from your
friends, but also what youcontribute.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
Exactly, and it encourages kids to think about
the qualities that are importantto them in a friendship.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
Right.
Okay, let's move on to settinggoals.
There's one that says if Icould learn one new skill before
I finish junior high, whatwould it be and why?

Speaker 2 (04:49):
Hmm, that's a good way to get kids thinking about
their interests and how they candevelop them.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
Yeah, like maybe they want to learn to code or play
the guitar or something.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
And it helps them connect those interests to their
future goals.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
Right, because even though they're in junior high,
they're already starting tothink about what they want to do
with their lives.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
Exactly.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Okay, what about gratitude?
Any more prompts in thatcategory?

Speaker 1 (05:10):
Yeah, there's one that asks what's one thing about
my family that I'm grateful for, even if I don't always show it
?

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Ah, that's sweet.
It's so easy to take ourfamilies for granted sometimes.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
I know right, but they're always there for us.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah, and I think it's important for kids to
recognize that.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
Definitely yeah, okay , so, we OK.
So we've talked aboutself-reflection, exploring
friendship, building confidenceand expressing gratitude.
What do you think about allthese prompts so far?

Speaker 2 (05:36):
I'm really impressed Like they're so thoughtful and
insightful.

Speaker 1 (05:39):
I know right.
I almost wish I had theseprompts back when I was in
junior high.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
Me too.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
But hey, it's never too late to start journaling.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
That's true.
You know, I actually keep ajournal myself.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
Really.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
Yeah, it's a great way to like process my thoughts
and feelings.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
I bet and you don't have to be a writer to do it
Nope.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
Anyone can journal.

Speaker 1 (05:57):
Okay, so we have one more category to go Setting
goals and I think this is goingto be a good one, because it's
all about helping kids Me too,so stick with us.
We'll be right back after aquick break.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
All right, so we're back and we're tackling our
final category setting goals.

Speaker 1 (06:17):
Yes, it's all about looking ahead and, you know,
thinking about what you want toachieve.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
Which is super important in junior high,
because you're starting to makedecisions that can really impact
your future.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
Right, like what classes you take or what
activities you join, exactly,yeah, so let's jump into some
prompts OK, like what classesyou take or what activities you
join, exactly yeah.
So let's jump into some props,Okay.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
This one asks what are three things I want to
accomplish before I graduatehigh school?

Speaker 1 (06:39):
Ooh, that's a good one.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (06:41):
It gets them thinking long term.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
Yeah, like beyond just junior high.

Speaker 1 (06:45):
So what kind of things do you think kids might
write down?

Speaker 2 (06:48):
Well, it could be anything right Like getting good
grades or making the varsityteam or maybe even starting
their own business.

Speaker 1 (06:54):
Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
Or like traveling to a different country or learning
a new language.

Speaker 1 (06:58):
Totally, the possibilities are endless.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
All right, here's another one.
What's one small step I cantake this week to move closer to
one of my goals?

Speaker 1 (07:06):
I love that one because it's all about taking
action.
Yeah, it's not just aboutdreaming big, but actually doing
something to make those dreamshappen.
And sometimes that first stepis the hardest, definitely.
But once you take it, you startbuilding momentum exactly okay.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
Here's one that I think is really important.
It asks what are some obstaclesI might face as I work towards
my goals and how can I preparemyself to overcome them ooh,
that's a tough one, but sonecessary.
Because let's be real, lifeisn't always easy.

Speaker 1 (07:39):
Nope, there are going to be challenges along the way.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
But if you can anticipate those challenges,
you'll be better equipped todeal with them.

Speaker 1 (07:46):
Yeah, it's like having a plan B.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
Right, Okay, Last prompt in this category.
It asks who are some people Ican turn to for support and
encouragement as I work towardsmy goals.

Speaker 1 (07:57):
Oh, I love that one.
It's all about building yoursupport system.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
Because you don't have to do it alone.

Speaker 1 (08:02):
Nope, you need people in your corner who believe in
you.
Exactly Okay, so we've coveredall five categories now Wow that
was a lot, yeah, but I have tosay I'm really impressed with
these journal prompts.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
Me too.
They're so thoughtful andinsightful.

Speaker 1 (08:15):
Yeah, and they're not just for junior high students
either.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
Totally.
Anyone can benefit fromself-reflection and goal setting
.

Speaker 1 (08:21):
So if you're listening and you want to try
journaling, I highly recommendchecking out these prompts.
Yeah, they're a great startingpoint.
And on that note, we're goingto leave you with one final
thought.
If you could create your ownjournal prompt for someone in
junior high, what would it be?

Speaker 2 (08:41):
Hmm, that's a good question.
We'd love to hear your ideas,share them with us on social
media.
And until next time, happyjournaling.