Estimated Reading Time: 3 1/2 minutes (701 words)
Primary Audience: Adults interested in engaging students in the April challenge
Click here to sign up for this year’s student challenge!
On Monday, Stacey shared the overview of the 17th Annual SOLSC, which is for adults. Today, I’d like to answer some frequently asked questions about the Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge, a similar challenge for young writers.
What is the Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge?
The Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge is modeled on the Slice of Life Story Challenge:
- Students accept the challenge of writing every day in April.
- Students can write in a notebook or they can blog online.
- Teachers support students by periodically sharing their work with the TWT community of writers, so students can hear feedback from an authentic audience.
- Participating teachers (or perhaps even students!) can visit the Classroom SOLSC Homepage, click on the link to other classes’ blogs, and read and comment on student writing.
I have a LOT on my plate right now. Why should I add this on top of everything?
Yes, the Classroom Challenge takes a degree of commitment. Most participants:
- Give time for students to write each day. Consider incorporating this daily writing time into your:
- Homework assignments
- Morning meetings
- Daily exit tickets
- Writing workshop
- Arrival work
- Post a link to class blogs each week.
- Visit other class blog sites on our homepage and comment on student writing.
The level of commitment is up to you, your students, and what you can accomplish for the month. Spring instruction can overwhelm teachers, but the Classroom Challenge doesn’t have to.
As former TWT author Katherine Neagle Sokolowski beautifully said, “Blogging is a way to help students develop voice, a sense of audience, build digital citizenship, sharpen writing skills, and connect in new ways. It is also a way for students to process all their emotions and capture their questions.”
Who Can Participate?
One of the foundational beliefs we have at Two Writing Teachers is that educators who write become better teachers of writing. It’s important for teachers to “live” the challenges of written expression, and students benefit when they see their teachers working and writing alongside them. Therefore, educators who sign up students for the 11th Annual Classroom SOLSC are encouraged to take part in the adult SOLSC during the month of March. However, if you’re unable to participate in the March challenge for adults, we encourage you to write alongside your students in April or participate weekly in our Tuesday SOL challenges throughout April.
Students who participate should be 18 and under, and they need an adult sponsor who can link to that writer’s blog on their behalf. The challenge can work for ANY group of students. Last year, I participated with 16 Kindergarteners!
Where and When Can I Sign Up?
If you plan to participate in the SOLSC in March, you may sign up for the challenge by entering your information into this Google Form. You can sign up anytime before April 1, 2024. When you sign up, we will add your information to the Classroom SOLSC Homepage so fellow writers can read your students’ work. Make sure to get permission from parents and guardians before posting student writing online.
How Often Will TWT Post About the Classroom Challenge?
Beginning on Sunday, March 31st, Classroom SOLSC posts go live on Sunday mornings through the end of April. The Sunday posts provide tips, inspiration, and encouragement for educators who are coaching students through the challenge. The link to the homepage will be part of the post weekly. We will also share the homepage link in our Tuesday posts for the adult challenge to encourage others to read and comment on student work.
Will There Be Prizes?
TWT does not give prizes to participants in the Classroom SOLSC. However, we offer the chance to feel rewarding connections, establish partnerships with other teachers, and have a proud sense of accomplishment for you and your students!
Individual teachers have often chosen different ways to celebrate students who participate in the challenge. Some teachers award students with digital badges for accomplishing different writing challenges on the way to blogging for the whole month, while others have held “slice of cake” or “slice of pizza” parties for students who participate in the challenge. Be on the lookout for some fun tracking and celebration ideas in our Sunday posts!
We look forward to hearing what your students have to say this April! Check out the helpful links below for more guidance.
- A simple explanation of the challenge for students and families
- Family letter about the challenge
- Tracking Grid
- Padlet full of links to inspire students when the challenge gets tough!
Questions about the 2024 Classroom Challenge?
- If your last name begins with the letters A -L, please email questions to Leah Koch at Leah.koch7[at]gmail.com.
- If your last name begins with the letters M – Z, please email questions to Melanie Meehan at meehanmelanie[at]gmail.com.
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