5 Tips for Educators Using NaNoWriMo in the Classroom

We’re almost ready to test out our brand-new Young Writer’s Program website! The final bugs are being worked out so that teachers and young novelists alike will be able to use the new and improved website for NaNo 2016. To receive an alert when the new YWP site goes live, sign up here. Meanwhile, author and educator Vicki Meigs-Kahlenberg has given us some tips about implementing NaNoWriMo in the classroom:

October is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the sweater weather, the changing leaves, and everything pumpkin spice.  But my absolute favorite thing about this time of year is gearing up for NaNoWriMo! As great as it is, participating in the program at all can seem like a crazy endeavor–so why on earth would you ever attempt to write novels with a group of students who don’t even particularly care for writing in school?   

Because…it’s magical.  

Much like the changing leaves, exploding with vibrant colors, so too will your students’ attitudes and efforts in writing change and explode with possibilities even they never imagined. I have been a middle school teacher for more than 20 years, and I can honestly say that nothing compares to writing novels together as a class. In my experience, it’s the single most impactful academic experience that a student can share with their classmates. Writing novels builds confidence and motivation for students (in writing and in other areas of life); reinforces other lessons and makes those lessons meaningful to our students; and helps students feel like they are a part of something that matters, something real.

Here are a few tips for a successful trip to NaNo Land with your class this fall:

1. Integrate noveling into your existing curriculum to give authenticity, meaning, and purpose to what your students are already learning.

Participating in NaNoWriMo helps students connect the writing work that authors do in the real world with the writing work that we do within our classrooms. It provides validation and a wonderfully authentic opportunity for students to apply the literary elements you are already teaching–such as characterization, plot, setting, and conflict–to their own writing. They also get to demonstrate their knowledge of literary devices such as flashback, imagery, and irony throughout the month in the same way that real authors do. 

Additionally, something unexpected occurs for every student who takes part in this ridiculous challenge: after writing their own novels, students will never read another story without knowing the work that went into developing each character and their actions. They will no longer casually breeze by vivid details, deliberate word choices, or embedded symbolism. Learning the skills in the reading portion of the curriculum, and then fearlessly crafting and applying those skills in their own writing, makes a strong impression. This synthesis of knowledge bridges the gap between reading and writing and brings new meaning and a heightened awareness into their everyday reading and writing lives.

2. Write with your students.

C’mon, admit it. If you teach English or language arts, you know that somewhere deep down inside you have this dream of writing “The Great American Novel” one day. Carpe this Diem. If you truly want to make an impact with your students, you can’t just teach novel writing; you have to get in there, get your hands on that keyboard, and experience novel writing side-by-side with your students. You have a writer’s voice, and the world needs to hear it.

3. Build a true community of writers within the classroom.

Out in the real world, writing communities serve to hold their members accountable, to provide support and encouragement when needed, and to offer feedback at all steps in the writing process.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our students could come to expect this same kind of support system within our classrooms? 

The YWP website has many tools you can utilize to engage and support your students as they navigate their way through their novels. You can create a virtual classroom, post announcements, assignments, and even writing challenges. The new YWP site will even include writing spaces for students to draft and save their novels, and updated forums for improved conversation and communication. It is so comforting to know that even when we are writing on our own at home, we are never alone. That sense of community and connection with your classroom can make all the difference.

4. Build a true community of writers out in the community.

You already know you are crazy for taking on this insane challenge with your classroom, so why not spread the word out there in your community? I’m serious: share with your community what you are setting out to accomplish for the month, and get them to join you in your efforts. 

Contact your local newspaper and news station to see if they’d be interested in reporting this story of your class taking on insurmountable odds to write novels in 30 days. Host “write-outs” around town for your students to get together and write in the evenings or on the weekends in coffee shops, book stores, or even the mall food court. Don’t be shy–the more people see you and hear about what you are doing with your class, the more the excitement builds. No doubt everyone you talk to will be amazed by your enthusiasm and dedication to your students.

5. Celebrate a job well-done.

Novel writing is both messy and empowering. Through the process, students develop writing fluency, stamina, and the ability to produce higher-quality on-demand writing–and that’s something worth celebrating!

See if you can come up with a way to show your students how proud you are of them. Share your idea with local businesses and see if they’d be willing to donate goods or gift certificates for the students who meet their word count goals. (Our local ice cream parlor gave us free ice cream cone certificates as awards!) Participating in NaNoWriMo shows our students that we believe in them, even when they think that what we are asking is impossible.

Vicki Meigs-Kahlenberg is the author of The Author’s Apprentice: Developing Writing Fluency, Stamina, and Motivation through Authentic Publication .  She is an experienced teacher, writer and educational consultant.  As a middle school teacher for nearly two decades, she has helped hundreds of students become published authors.  She aims to help all English teachers reclaim their classrooms and get their kids writing for real.  She loves NaNoWriMo and hopes to make it part of classroom instruction everywhere.