It’s that time of year where I boycott resolutions, and set an intention instead. Little did I know that my chiropractor would be the one to hand me my One Little Word for the year.
Tag Archives: education
Slice of Life Day 22: A Heart Swells
A few months ago, my good friend and colleague Kurt came to me with an idea. Kurt teaches music at one of my schools, and he’s a guy who likes to take an idea and run with it. And if there’s anything I also like doing, it’s taking ideas and running with them. It is,Continue reading “Slice of Life Day 22: A Heart Swells”
Slice of Life Day 19: On Identity
Yesterday, I wrote about planning a workshop on identity writing. The goal was to explore: How can I teach young writers about the power of the “default” where it comes to writing? How can I have them realize that characters without identifying traits still get identified – as whatever the mainstream culture would have readers picture? HowContinue reading “Slice of Life Day 19: On Identity”
Slice of Life Day 12: Prithee
Today is one of those days where I have the delightful problem of having too many things I want to post about. So today, I think I will share my fifth graders’ work with Shakespeare. They spent last week learning about the guy and all of his weirdness, even coming up with their own favoriteContinue reading “Slice of Life Day 12: Prithee”
Slice of Life: One BIG Little Word
Each new year, members of the Slice of Life teaching and writing community traditionally write a post focusing on “One Little Word.” I enjoy the process of sifting through, taking stock, and figuring out where I might land. I enjoy it almost as much as I like to read other folks’ OLW posts. It’s fascinatingContinue reading “Slice of Life: One BIG Little Word”
Slice of Life Tuesday: Dispatches from Fifth Grade
Every year, I ask my departing fifth graders to share what they’ve learned about language arts and about themselves throughout our time together. Every year, I tell them this is the last thing I will remember them by. I only give them two rules: letters need to be written in letter form, and I wantContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: Dispatches from Fifth Grade”
Slice of Life Tuesday: On Letting Them Go
Today and yesterday were my last days with my fifth graders. Some of these kids, I’ve worked with for a year or two. Others, we’ve been together for three, four, even five years. There is so much change that happens over the span of that time. Add our shared experiences living through COVID and itsContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: On Letting Them Go”
Slice of Life: Testing, Testing
Standardized testing. It has me feeling some kind of way. I can’t be alone in this. I know we are legion, those of us wanting to teach in a way that aligns with our moral compass. We are legion, those of us in systems that say they are student-centered, that focus on the development ofContinue reading “Slice of Life: Testing, Testing”
Poetry Month Day 4: Shameless Plug
Today’s poem isa haiku telling you tojust click on this link It’s my articlefor Two Writing TeachersI hope you enjoy =))
Story Challenge Day 12: How to Get Around Tough Stuff
In case you are wondering, I am providing – for YOUR experience and benefit, and not at all for my own perverse need for procrastination, this here following: Guide to Letting Yourself Put Off Tasks that are Difficult, Uncomfortable, and a General Pain in the Patoot Get yourself a dog. The needier, the better. PetContinue reading “Story Challenge Day 12: How to Get Around Tough Stuff”
Soapbox: The Way I see Things 