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!”

Slice of Life Day 9: Current Conditions

Here we are at day 9 of the Slice of Life Challenge! Today had me thinking: you know, even though it seems corny for stories to have the weather reflect moods in characters, I have to admit that sometimes…well, sometimes the weather gets it right. Oh!,perhaps,she pondered,upon seeingthe weather outsideas it rained, snowed, threatenedto growContinue reading “Slice of Life Day 9: Current Conditions”

Slice of Life Day Challenge Day 2: On Timing

Whoo! Day two of the Slice of Life Challenge. Stick with me on this one. I promise this post has some fun in store. When you have a group of squirrelly fourth-graders on a beautiful spring day, And you have them for two full hours’ worth of literacy studio, And you know that some ofContinue reading “Slice of Life Day Challenge Day 2: On Timing”

Slice of Life Challenge, Day 1: Gone Fishin’

Hooray for the Slice of Life Challenge! This is year 4 for me – which is pretty tough to believe. I’m maybe a little proud of myself for sticking with it. Now…this is a year where life is a little…googly-eyed, shall we say. So, I’m not confident I’ll make it every day. I’ll sure giveContinue reading “Slice of Life Challenge, Day 1: Gone Fishin’”

Slice of Life Tuesday: Write-Along

Each year, I have my students craft forced association poems, where they pull together a poem that’s written about one thing…but it’s really about another. We start by thinking of places or things (usually in nature) important to us: that one lilac bush, the park we love to play at, a favorite tree. Then, weContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: Write-Along”

Slice of Life Tuesday: The Important Thing

I love teaching units more than once. I get do-overs! Each year, my kids teach me more about how they learn, how best to reach them. And lucky me, I don’t even have to wait until the following year! Working at two schools, with two sets of kids, I get two tries for each lesson.Continue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: The Important Thing”