Tag Archives: learning

#SOL20 Day 9: We’ll See What Happens

“We’ll see what happens,” the Wife shrugged as she grabbed her bag and keys. The Husband looked up. “What’s THAT supposed to mean?” The Wife lowered her bag and countered, “C’mon. You know that’s how it goes, right? It’s not like we have any control over what actually happens. We jump in, and then…yeah. We’llContinue reading “#SOL20 Day 9: We’ll See What Happens”

#SOL20 Day 8: Signs of Spring

I always love that first day I start to notice signs of spring. Here’s a little old thing I wrote to celebrate. The sun whispers to the spring soil,“Come out, my friends, it’sTime to play!” Is it that they don’t hear?Are they still cold,HidingWaiting afraid forWinter to pass?Who will be the first to break forth?NotContinue reading “#SOL20 Day 8: Signs of Spring”

#SOL20 Day 7: A Time to Bake

Today was hamentaschen day. Hamantaschen, for the uninitiated, is a triangular-shaped pastry filled with stuff, and it’s eaten around this time of year in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Purim. Which, for the uninitiated, is a celebration (among way too many) of how someone tried to get rid of Jews and failed. But inContinue reading “#SOL20 Day 7: A Time to Bake”

#SOL20 Day 5: Failure is…

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”

Poetry, Found

If you had asked me today whether or not writing poetry should be on my to-do list, I might have laughed at you. But knowing that the universe has a way of conspiring, and knowing that grocery list poetry is a thing in this world, I felt compelled. What I loved were the ways thisContinue reading “Poetry, Found”