How to Start an After-School Club
Wednesday October 8, 2008
When I first entered the classroom, I organized an after-school Writers Club for the students at my school. The idea and momentum came from a pair of particularly enthusiastic students who loved to write short stories for fun at home. They heard I was a writer and the spark was lit!
The Writers Club became an extended Teachable Moment that inspired a small group of young students to take themselves seriously as writers. I hope that this experience gave them the motivation to maintain a lifelong passion for the written word.
So, I speak from experience when I tell you my tips for How to Start an After-School Club. The topic could be stamp collecting, music, chess, animated novels... whatever! The important thing is that you and your students work together to further your collective love for a given topic.
I'm curious... has anyone else successfully started an after-school club? What is your favorite tip for club success?
Comments
This is such a great idea! It is widely known that students who participate in extracurricular activities do better academically. Sometimes, however; the school doesn’t provide enough extracurricular activities for the younger students. It is great that you started your own club where you saw a need for one. Have you ever thought about entering the students in your writing club into some writing competitions?