"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
— Rudyard Kipling
When I was in Elementary school there was an essay contest at the end of our DARE program. I did my essay, turned it in, and never gave it another thought. It was just another assignment after all. I was sitting in a desk next to the door in the front of my room when my teacher announced that it was time to reveal the winners of the DARE essay contest. When my name was called my eyes got big and I could not believe what I was hearing. How was it possible that something I wrote had won something? I must be an amazing writer! I did my work and I knew I was an okay student, but to win such a prestigious award! I never knew I had this undiscovered talent and now something that I wrote was going to be included in the school newsletter.
This was really the first time in my life I had been recognized in an academic setting. I had always gotten good grades and I knew that my parents thought I was a smart kid; I was a little advanced for my age, but I had never won an award or been singled out for doing exceedingly well on an assignment. It was a big deal for me. Looking back on it now I wish I had been offered more opportunities at the time to try and publish my writing. I was excited, and I was proud, and I was motivated. But being young and not having anyone to point me in the right direction those feelings faded away. I don’t recall ever entering another contest or ever attempting to get anything published. It just was not something I thought of and it was not anything that was presented to me as an option.
The memory of winning the DARE contest has stayed with me through the years, though now those memories I find bittersweet. Looking back now I see how small this accomplishment was, but I wish that little girl had had someone to tell her to keep writing. To write for herself. To write for others. To experiment. To put herself out there. This is something I would like to make sure I do for my students. I want them to have opportunities to not only try new things but to always be encouraged. I want their accomplishments to be recognized and I want those small accomplishments to be nurtured and used as a gateway to newer and bigger accomplishments.
I did some research and found some programs for kids to enter writing competitions. A few of the links I found are below; there's a lot out there if you look! I think all students should know about these programs and be encouraged to enter. It gives added motivation to make their writing the best it can be. It also gives some opportunities for teachers to utilize peer editing and individual instruction, and it encourages students to share their writing and their ideas.
http://www.stageoflife.com/StageHighSchool/OtherResources/WeeklyHighSchoolWritingContest.aspx
http://figment.com/contests/seventeen/
https://clubs2.scholastic.com/programs/contests.shtml
http://teachingwithcontests.com/
This was really the first time in my life I had been recognized in an academic setting. I had always gotten good grades and I knew that my parents thought I was a smart kid; I was a little advanced for my age, but I had never won an award or been singled out for doing exceedingly well on an assignment. It was a big deal for me. Looking back on it now I wish I had been offered more opportunities at the time to try and publish my writing. I was excited, and I was proud, and I was motivated. But being young and not having anyone to point me in the right direction those feelings faded away. I don’t recall ever entering another contest or ever attempting to get anything published. It just was not something I thought of and it was not anything that was presented to me as an option.
The memory of winning the DARE contest has stayed with me through the years, though now those memories I find bittersweet. Looking back now I see how small this accomplishment was, but I wish that little girl had had someone to tell her to keep writing. To write for herself. To write for others. To experiment. To put herself out there. This is something I would like to make sure I do for my students. I want them to have opportunities to not only try new things but to always be encouraged. I want their accomplishments to be recognized and I want those small accomplishments to be nurtured and used as a gateway to newer and bigger accomplishments.
I did some research and found some programs for kids to enter writing competitions. A few of the links I found are below; there's a lot out there if you look! I think all students should know about these programs and be encouraged to enter. It gives added motivation to make their writing the best it can be. It also gives some opportunities for teachers to utilize peer editing and individual instruction, and it encourages students to share their writing and their ideas.
http://www.stageoflife.com/StageHighSchool/OtherResources/WeeklyHighSchoolWritingContest.aspx
http://figment.com/contests/seventeen/
https://clubs2.scholastic.com/programs/contests.shtml
http://teachingwithcontests.com/