Click here to sign up for the classroom challenge! (Note: This is the same form you filled out for the adult challenge. The classroom portion is at the bottom. Feel free to submit the form again if you’e decided to sign up your class).
Why should my class participate?
In my experience, students of all ages love reaching this difficult goal and connecting with young writers from around the world. Just like exercise, writers get stronger the more they work their writing muscles. By the end of the month, students will be able to reflect on their growth as writers!
How does it work?
There are many ways that students can participate, and we welcome all of the ways, including ones we haven’t thought of. If your students are writing, it works for us! Each Sunday, our daily Slice of Life post will be devoted to highlighting student writers. Teachers with participating students are encouraged to post their students’ work on those Sunday posts so kids can get feedback. In the past, classes have successfully used Padlets, and that would be an easy link to share in your Sunday comment. Leah’s class writes in notebooks (see below for a printable option) and she photographs and uploads journal entries to share. Another teacher in Melanie’s district has students write in notebooks, and the students in the classroom leave notes and comments for each other on the notebook pages every Friday. While their entries stay within the walls of the classroom, the spirit of the Challenge is thriving in her room, and we celebrate her and the students!
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. Make sure you get permission from their caregivers before posting student work online. The challenge can work for ANY group of students. Leah has even participated with Kindergarteners!
If you are supporting student slicers, please start your Sunday comment with “CLASSROOM CHALLENGE” in capital letters so others can find slicing students among all of the adult comments. We hope that Sundays will be days where our community can really highlight and celebrate the younger slicers. And, if you forget, don’t worry! We’ll remind you each week!
Worried about making time?
Yes, the Classroom Challenge takes a degree of commitment. The two main goals of the challenge are:
- Offer time for students to write each day.
- Share student work (in some capacity) with other young writers so they can receive comments and feedback.
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.
We look forward to hearing what your students have to say! Check out the helpful links below for more guidance.
- A simple explanation of the challenge for students and families
- Printable notebook for the 2025 Classroom Challenge (And a primary option with drawing space)
- Family letter about the challenge with permission slip
- Tracking Grid
- Padlet full of links to inspire students when the challenge gets tough!
If you need support with the Classroom Challenge, email Leah Thomas at leahthomaswrites[at]gmail.com.
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