Join me in harnessing some of the magic Back to School energy that’s in the air to kickstart your independent learning this September. Write posts on your blog or social media that speak to the prompts I’ve created for this KNITSONIK Back to School Challenge. I know the image says Instagram but you can use any platform you like, just make sure to share a link in the comments so I can find you!

What is the challenge?

This challenge builds on this post. I created the prompt challenges to help you if you’ve signed up to any sort of course, club, class or study programme and would like to:

1. Share and reflect upon your learning journey.
2. Find other makers who are learning new things, too.
3. Create helpful structures and self-supports to uplift your independent learning.

Join the challenge on as many days as you can manage and if you can’t do all the prompts, concentrate on the ones that really speak to you.

#KNITSONIKbacktoschool

On social media, use the hashtag #KNITSONIKbacktoschool to share your progress and to find other makers joining the challenge and put links to your posts in the comments here so I can find them. I’ve made the challenge 28 days long and it’s designed to run throughout September(ish) with no time pressure. We don’t need more pressure. This is meant to uplift you and create JOY and positive intention around the Back To School mood: not to be a thing to feel bad about. I’m automatically applying a deadline extension to mid-October for the latecomers and those of you who just need more time (I’m one of you, too).

Prizes

In mid-October I’ll look through everyone’s challenge posts and comments and allocate three course places from The KNITSONIK School at random. To be entered into the prize draw you should post at least one post per section (see the different sections below).

Challenge Background

I created this challenge because I have quite a few learning/study goals that I want to meet this autumn – and I know I’m not alone! When we start school, there is a lot of helpful structure to get us going and keep us accountable but when we study alone, we don’t have that structure. I created the prompts to help us make more structure for ourselves and to celebrate the joy and wonder of what it is TO LEARN. It may surprise you that I actually did not enjoy my time at school – especially secondary school – but I have always, always loved learning. This challenge speaks to that and is designed to inspire you to celebrate the way YOU learn and to reflect on the best ways to support your own independent study.

If you’re buying online courses and/or lectures; if you signed up to creative bug or craftsy, or a knitting club or a reading group or anything like that – and you keep meaning to get around to your planned activities but then don’t quite manage to, use this challenge to help you stay on track! I’ve designed the prompts to be easy and quick to do, and to keep learning fun and foremost in your mind.

Please share this post, pass it on to your friends, and – most importantly – join in! Also: feel free to save and share the images from this post to publicise the challenge and spread the word.

Prompts & Timings

• Start on any day in September 2024 (challenge runs to mid-October).
• Use the prompts to inspire and celebrate your progress on any learning project(s).
• Share with the hashtag #KNITSONIKbacktoschool or share links to your own posts in the comments here.

Prompts & Timings

Preparations

1. Subject(s)
2. Teacher(s)
3. School(s) / Learning platform(s)
4. Something to write/draw with
5. Notebook
6. Materials list
7. Reading list

Settling in

8. School bag / Pencil case
9. Workspace / Desk
10. Timetable / Lesson plan
11. Learning Style
12. Access needs / Self care
13. Learning Environment
14. Motto / Mascot

Learning

15. Textbook(s)
16. Quote(s)
17. Classroom bell
18. Essay(s)
19. Project report
20. Break time
21. Study trip(s)

Progress

22. Gold star
23. New skill(s)
24. Project update(s)
25. Lecture(s)
26. Progress report
27. Learning outcome(s)
28. Certificate(s)

For those of you not participating in the challenge, I hope you’ll enjoy my back to school posts here and over on Instagram – it’s going to be a rich month of exploring all the different ways that we can set up our learning spaces and use the energy of the new term to kickstart our languishing projects.

I love how Max Daniels put it in this fantastic post on the Modern Daily Knitting post:

September is a natural force multiplier.

Slate=clean. Pencils: sharp! That’s the vibe. Let’s harness it, and take a free ride on that fresh-start energy.

– Max Daniels, writing for Modern Daily Knitting

YES to that clean slate and sharp pencils energy!
I’m looking forward to a lovely month of this,

Yours in #KNITSONIKbacktoschool,
Fx