I’ve had a lot more writing time with my kids, and it’s one of the things I’m proudest of this year. It’s something kids look forward to, because they get to spend time writing whatever it is they choose. It’s a class session I really look forward to, because I get to be eyeball-deep inContinue reading “Story Challenge Day 14: On Letting Things Marinate”
Tag Archives: slice of life
Story Challenge Day 13: Two Years
Two years. It’s been two years since we packed up our loveys for a couple of weeks of online learning before spring break. Two years since kids, backpacks stuffed to the brink with textbooks and worksheet packets and iPads and school supplies, flooded the hallway with the same kind of excitement and anticipation that usuallyContinue reading “Story Challenge Day 13: Two Years”
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”
Story Challenge Day 11: The Important Thing
Note: Inspired by Margaret Wise Brown’s The Important Book, I’m working on these alongside my students. Enjoy! FRIENDSThe important thing about friends is that they are friendly.They talk to you,And they go for coffee.They give you thingsAnd go on walks with you, And they show you the good and not-so-good Parts of yourselfYou hide fromContinue reading “Story Challenge Day 11: The Important Thing”
Story Challenge Day 10: Easy Button
It’s March. For teachers, it’s a long slog between standardized testing, end-of-winter-blues and the impossibly vast stretch until winter break. I’ve got some fun and play in the mix!
Story Challenge Day 9: Signs of Spring
when I look at a group of kids and realize, “Oh! They’re not third graders anymore. They’re fourth graders waiting to happen.” Or, “Yesterday I was looking at fifth graders. Now I’m looking at middle schoolers.” Really. It happens in a day. They just…turn, transform, evolve.
Slice of Life Tuesday: Learning to Unlearn
“Sometimes the difference between fiction and nonfiction is messy. And the only way we can REALLY tell is to look at the text itself: titles, pages, back matter, dust jackets. “
Slice of Life Tuesday: Gamifying Reading
How can we get kids to stop and talk about text? Here’s what I did to get them rolling.
Slice of Life Tuesday: All of the Things
To a writer, poems, thoughts and images collect and roll around like marbles…
Slice of Life Tuesday: Story’s Sneak Attack
Story’s back at it, and she’s found me…