elementary education – Page 19 – Soapbox: The Way I see Things

#SOL20 Day 6: Short Fiction

If we’re trying to kill him with kindness, she mused, can we please try to do it a bit faster?

Today was…a day to remember some lessons. Today’s lesson was a lesson in…what should I call it? Patience? Self-forgiveness? Understanding? Revised expectations? I went to the gym today hoping to score a new PR (personal record) on my deadlift. Yeah, I guess that makes me a meathead. I’ll take it. I really wanted this oneContinue reading “#SOL20 Day 5: Failure is…”

#SOL20 Day 4: Letting Out The Meanie

Each week, I ask my writers to set an intention for the following week, and to let me know what, if any, support they might need. One of my kids asked me for some support on how to make her characters more complicated. Well, this fourth grader also happens to be an incredible writer. AsContinue reading “#SOL20 Day 4: Letting Out The Meanie”

#SOL20 Day 3: Story Stand-Off

Day 3 of the Slice of Life story challenge. Here goes: “Go ahead. You can do it,” she urged. Lainie drew a breath, huffed it out and rubbed her face with her hands. “But I don’t actually want to,” she whined. “Can’t I just…you know…write some poetry or personal narrative? I’m sure it will turnContinue reading “#SOL20 Day 3: Story Stand-Off”

#SOL20 Day 2: The Find

There it was, glistening like a coin dropped to the bottom of a pool. She glanced down and shrugged her shoulders – probably not worth the effort to pick up. I mean, she thought, after all, she considered, what on earth, she pondered, would I even do with it? She thought a moment at thisContinue reading “#SOL20 Day 2: The Find”

#SOL20 Day 1: On Carrying Stories

Today begins a commitment to thirty-one days of writing. Thirty-one days of stories from my life, from school, that I am putting out into the world. It makes me think about stories, and how very much I talk and think about them. I carry them with me, and I encourage my students to do theContinue reading “#SOL20 Day 1: On Carrying Stories”