Students Getting Challenged

One of the most common questions I get from students is, “What do I do when I’m done?” Of course, I ask students if they’ve checked their work. I try to challenge my students, find mistakes or areas of growth. But often times, students finish with their work, and have extra time in class. So, what do they do when they’re done?

In my class, students have the opportunity to work on challenges. Challenges (as seen on the tab above) are enrichment activities that allow students to explore different avenues of learning. They are not extra credit, and they do not count as a grade. What they offer, is a challenging way to learn something new, with the extra time students have.

Check out this student's animation using Google Slides. This student spent several weeks worth of "finished time" in the classroom (and some time outside of class) working on this animation. It's quite amazing the concentration and focus needed to accomplish something of this caliber. 

Another student was able to complete a challenge at home, that they picked up a week before school even started! This challenge asks students to create and design their own house. Here is the beginning of this student's house, which was worked on and turned in before school even started for the year! 

Challenges allow students to be challenged in an area that traditional school courses might not cover. I am looking forward to see what the students at Fridley Middle School create and learn on their own time, just for the sake of learning.