As we enter the second half of October, our Newspaper and Young Leader/Book Club
students move into the second phase of the semester! The newspaper students will send their first
projects through the peer review process before beginning their second project. For each student,
the new projects will need to be in a different category then their first project to promote well-
rounded writing skills. The Young Leaders, on the other hand, have started the Google Doodles
contest!
Although most of the Newspaper students are excited about the prospect of a new project,
some have grown quite attached to the work they have done the past few weeks and are
lamenting having to work on a different project. Despite living in a day and age where students
are often stereotyped as reluctant writers, this behavior means they are engaged with their
writing and are learning to be excited about the work they are doing. It is as simple (and as
difficult) finding writing projects that interest the students themselves, and luckily newspaper has
been both engaging for the students and educational through my feedback on their work.
Our 3rd and 4th grade young leaders are also getting to do some fun while getting
educational feedback from me as they begin the Google Doodles contest. This year, the
theme/prompt is “What I see for the future…” and students were quick to mention hover boards
and teleporters. The main concept students have yet to learn, however, is the idea of multiple
drafts. While some students did a quick drawing and said “I’m done,” they will soon learn that it
takes more than one draft to make a product of high enough quality to submit to the contest.
Their excitement is high, which will help them as they learn the revision process.
As both groups learn to work together to revise and push themselves to higher standards
of excellence, they will learn that they are capable of more than they thought while engaging in
projects that hold personal significance. When students care about a project, they are more likely
to maintain motivation through multiple drafts and produce a final product they can show off
with pride. I look forward to seeing what our students produce and what they learn about
themselves in this process!