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: One Little Word for 2024

Ever since joining up with the Two Writing Teachers community, I have a really enjoyed the “One Little Word” posts that I see each January. As someone who doesn’t really believe in New Year’s resolutions, I find it comforting to commemorate the transition to a new year by setting a simple intention.

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 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 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 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”

Slice of Life: One BIG Little Word

Each new year, members of the Slice of Life teaching and writing community traditionally write a post focusing on “One Little Word.” I enjoy the process of sifting through, taking stock, and figuring out where I might land. I enjoy it almost as much as I like to read other folks’ OLW posts. It’s fascinatingContinue reading “Slice of Life: One BIG Little Word”