Today’s post is the latest in a multiyear series in which students share their favorite classroom experiences and what they think all teachers can learn from them.
Personally, I think the collection of these anecdotes would make a great basis for a particularly useful professional development session!
Today’s post features contributors from Scholastic Kids Press, a group of Kid Reporters, ages 10–14, from across the country who, since 2000, have been reporting from their hometowns and on the national stage covering topics central to kids’ lives today including reading, literacy, education, and more.
Encourage Student Investment
Scholastic Kid Reporter Mika Jones:
My best experience in the classroom was a STEM elective offered to my entire grade of 120 kids. However, only six students enrolled in it, including me. The class was essentially a semesterlong project called “Future City” where students design a city 100 years in the future that satisfies a criteria and theme. This year, the theme was “Above the Current,” and teams were challenged to create a city floating on water. The project culminates in January at regional competitions.
To meet the criteria, my team of 7th graders created a project plan, wrote an essay, and built a to-scale model of the city with a moving part. We also had to design two innovative structures to make the city healthy and safe for citizens. The entire project cost could not exceed the $100 budget, so the use of recycled materials was encouraged.
On competition day, I was one of three presenters from my team, so I had the opportunity to speak to judges who were skilled engineers. Because of this, I became a better public speaker. When we were not preparing or presenting, our group was also able to attend engineering workshops.
My teacher, Maureen Gordon, was extremely supportive. She invited an engineer to the classroom to help our team brainstorm ideas and find solutions. She also asked important questions to make us think about matters that we never would have thought of otherwise. Our class would work on our city during lunch, recess, gym, and sometimes even academic time. This project was important to us, and we knew that we had to work hard to succeed.
From this experience, other teachers can learn that the best classes are the ones where the students are invested. To do this, they can add some friendly competition (with prizes!) and keep kids engaged with hands-on and self-driven learning.
Ultimately, our team did not win anything at the competition. However, this was fun and rewarding, despite the outcome. This was not your average class: It was far more interactive and gave students insight into life as an engineer. Additionally, my problem-solving and creative-thinking skills improved from this class. I am looking forward to tackling next year’s theme, “Farm to Table!”
‘She Planted a Seed Inside of Us’
Scholastic Kid Reporter Kush Kalra
Most parents strive to instill a love of reading in their children. However, this is challenging since many kids don’t like to read of their own volition.
Reading is amorphous and takes many forms for children—some see it as a passion, others as an escape, and many as an educational requirement. For many years, I viewed reading as a chore. That was until 4th grade, when my language arts teacher, Rebecca Hallock, introduced the “40-Book Challenge.”
During the first week of 4th grade, Ms. Hallock encouraged every student to set a reading goal of at least 40 books by the end of the school year. But there was a catch—to meet the challenge criteria, she asked us to explore a certain number of books in various genres (realistic fiction, mysteries, biographies, etc).
When hearing about this assignment, I was worried it would be an arduous task. During the 40-book journey, I was pleasantly surprised that it kindled a genuine love for reading within me.
By the end of the academic year, I not only completed the assignment but also surpassed it by reading 84 books! Not only was this an astounding achievement, but it also led to a meaningful path toward developing a love for literature.
In a short nine months, Ms. Hallock had created a friendly community of 4th graders, bound together by their shared love of books. She was our spine, igniting an inexorable flame for appreciating novels within us.
Throughout the year, Ms. Hallock gave personal recommendations to each student and shared authors and series I still enjoy. She set aside time each day for class read-alouds and independent perusing, allowing us to embark on imaginative exploits through our books. She introduced unfamiliar genres, such as historical fiction and novels in verse, that I wouldn’t have read if left to my own devices.
Ms. Hallock’s nurturing talent and passion for sparking curiosity are what make her one of the most impactful teachers I’ve ever had. Her energy and love for teaching and reading were palpable. She planted a seed inside of us, which sprouted a joy for books. That seed has grown into a thriving tree, continuing to branch out for the rest of my life. It has given me the extraordinary power to learn, explore, and escape all through the words on a page.
‘It’s the Small Things’
Scholastic Kid Reporter Faith Nguyen:
One of my best experiences in the classroom happened during English class in 8th grade, when we did a creative writing project. The assignment was to write a short story based on a book we read over the summer. At first, I was really unsure about it. I didn’t think I was that good at writing and I wasn’t super comfortable sharing my work in front of the whole class.
But Mrs. Georges, my teacher, made a big difference. She didn’t just explain the assignment and leave us to figure it out on our own. She actually took time to talk with me one-on-one and asked thoughtful questions about the book I chose. She helped me think through my ideas and lead me to feel confident in my writing. She also shared a personal example of her own, which made me feel like it was OK to be open and honest in my writing.
When it came time to share our stories in class, I was prepared to read mine out loud due to all the encouragement. After I did, a few classmates said they really liked it and that it made them think about their own stories differently. That moment made me feel seen and proud of what I had created, and it definitely boosted my confidence—not just in writing, but in being more open and creative in general.
I think what other teachers can learn from this is that sometimes it’s the small things—like actually listening, giving helpful feedback, and making a student feel safe to take risks—that make the biggest impact. Mrs. Georges showed me that my voice mattered, and I’ll always remember that.
Thanks to Mika, Kush, and Faith for contributing their thoughts.
Responses today answered this question:
What has been your best experience in the classroom, and what action or actions did a teacher take to help you make it happen (if they did)? Please be specific. What can other teachers learn from this experience?
Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.
You can also contact me on X at @Larryferlazzo or on Bluesky at @larryferlazzo.bsky.social
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