Empowering Learning by Embracing Challenge

By:  Carla Meyrink
School:  The Community for Learning

At The Community for Learning, our professional learning begins with a simple question: What impact do we want to have on our students? In the years since the pandemic, we’ve noticed a shift: students are often less willing to take risks and persist through challenge. Rather than lowering the bar, we chose to respond by igniting curiosity and empowering learning through meaningful challenge.


To support this, our faculty engaged in a six-week book study of Chapter 7 from Cultures of Thinking in Action by Ron Ritchhart, centered on the idea that learning occurs at the point of challenge. Together, we explored what it truly means to challenge students - how to stretch thinking without overwhelming, and how to deepen learning through rich, open-ended tasks rather than simply adding more work. Each week, teachers applied these ideas in their classrooms, then returned to reflect, refine, and try again.


We culminated the cycle with a teacher-led learning showcase. Five teachers facilitated reflection stations where colleagues rotated, capturing insights and questions. The energy was palpable, teachers learning from one another, celebrating growth, and pushing their own thinking. As one teacher shared, “We’re not only challenging our students; we’re challenging ourselves.” Another reflected, “Slowing down helped me see my classroom differently. I felt proud and inspired to keep growing.” This cycle didn’t just shift instruction, it strengthened a culture where curiosity is sparked, learning is owned, and change is embraced by both students and teachers.