Tag Archives: elementary education

Slice of Life Day 7: Planning and Plotting

Today, I took advantage of a rare day of light classes and meetings to work with a fellow colleague (co-conspirator?) to develop poetry units for a couple of grade levels. Sure, we knew we needed to use the Common Core Standards as the basis for content, but c’mon. It’s POETRY. We want our units centeredContinue reading “Slice of Life Day 7: Planning and Plotting”

Slice of Life Day 6: A Story of Our Own

Earlier today, I posted an article to Two Wring Teachers on “crowdsourcing” as a tool for story building and revision. When I read the post to my fourth grade students (the subject of my article) I could see their nods and smiles as confirmation that, together, we did a GREAT THING. Even my most ruggedContinue reading “Slice of Life Day 6: A Story of Our Own”

Slice of Life Day 5: Testing the Waters

I don’t enjoy writing fiction.

THERE. I said it.

There are times, though, that I do need to pull something together, especially when I’m demonstrating a process with my students.

My students are crafting stories in the style of Leo Lionni. Below is my work-in-progress. I thought I’d share it with you here. Who knows? I may even end up finishing it at some point. If so, you bet I’ll post again!

Slice of Life Day 1: Here We Go!

I love the Slice of Life challenge. Writing and sharing for a full month takes a bravery and persistence I’m never quite sure I have when I pull up to my keyboard each March. Certainly, I have reasons to pass up the opportunity. Yet here I am, back at it. What keeps me going?

Slice of Life Tuesday: Give it a Go

This week on the Two Writing Teachers site, I posted about a strategy I tried with my students: Give it a Go.

I introduced the idea today, so I thought I’d share what I wrote alongside them. Here’s my (admittedly autobiographical) contribution…

Slice of Life Tuesday: Sharing the Wealth

I’m on a mission. I believe that kids really aren’t going to care about essay structure, or grammar, or spelling, or mechanics, or writer’s craft, if they don’t see a point to writing. Because I believe that if kids don’t think they have something to say, or that nobody is going to listen, there reallyContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: Sharing the Wealth”

Slice of Life Day 12: Time Capsule

Here we are at Day 12 of the Slice of Life Challenge. We’re almost halfway through, friends! I’m not much of a Facebooker anymore. I used to be on there often, commenting and posting and what-not. Now, I’m there to do two things: 1) lurk around a little bit, and 2) look back over atContinue reading “Slice of Life Day 12: Time Capsule”

Slice of Life Day 11: On Days Off

Today’s Day 11 of the Slice of Life Challenge. Thought I’d use today’s post to catch a mood. Why no, I’m not spending my Saturday… skipping my workoutchecking my work emailmaking to-do listseating cookiesreading student workignoring my to-do listsre-checking my work emailglued to the couch …why do you ask?

Slice of Life Day 10: Challenge Accepted!

There I was yesterday, cruising around and commenting on some great blogs during the Slice of Life Challenge, when I came across GirlGriot’s musings about the noises she was hearing from under a grate by her apartment building. I thought…now THIS is a great story prompt, and I told her so. Before I knew it,Continue reading “Slice of Life Day 10: Challenge Accepted!”