Sunday Sit-Down #8: If Only I Knew

Each Sunday, I’m working my way through my experiences with race. I’ll share stories and memories from throughout my life. I know I’ll encounter moments of growth that I wish I could relive. I’ll also have to think back on choices that I wish I could remake. Come join me each week. It’s also DayContinue reading “Sunday Sit-Down #8: If Only I Knew”

Slice of Life 2021 Day 5: Throw a Girl a Bone

Today marks Day 5 of the Slice of Life challenge. Join me as I work to write every day in March – and hopefully beyond! SometimesWhen the monkeys on the backOutnumberThe feathers in the capOr when the proverbialWhack-a-moleFeels out of whatAnd we feelUnseen Unheard Alone AdriftSomeone tosses usA wide-ribboned lineTo remind us thatYesWe are stillContinue reading “Slice of Life 2021 Day 5: Throw a Girl a Bone”

Slice of Life 2021 Day 4: Kid Wisdom

Today marks Day 4 of the Slice of Life challenge. Join me as I work to write every day in March – and maybe beyond! As I alluded to in yesterday’s post, I used my own writing as a mentor text for my fourth graders. The goal is to use student writing as the literatureContinue reading “Slice of Life 2021 Day 4: Kid Wisdom”

Slice of Life 2021 Day 3: Story Has Her Say

Today marks the third day of March, the third day of the Slice of Life blogging challenge. I’ve committed to write each and every day during the month of March and – who knows? – maybe even longer. Join me! This entry was inspired by the conversation I had with my students this week after sharing aContinue reading “Slice of Life 2021 Day 3: Story Has Her Say”

Slice of Life Challenge 2021 Day 2: She’s Listing!

Today marks the second day of March, the second day of the Slice of Life blogging challenge. I’ve committed to write each and every day during the month of March and – who knows? – maybe even longer. Join me! Sometimeswhen we see a trusty old galsmooth sailingwe think wowhow does she do it little do theyContinue reading “Slice of Life Challenge 2021 Day 2: She’s Listing!”

Slice of Life 2021 Day 1: Looking

Today marks the first day of March, the first day of the Slice of Life blogging challenge. I’ve committed to write each and every day during the month of March and – who knows? – maybe even longer. Join me! A commitment to writing each and every day. Am I looking forward to it? DownContinue reading “Slice of Life 2021 Day 1: Looking”

Slice of Life Tuesday: Another Little Word

When writing my “One Little Word” post for the new year, I knew the word I chose, gather, would not last me through the year. In fact, it was my hope that this one little word would soon slough its skin to reveal the word underneath. The other day, I was at school. It wasContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: Another Little Word”

Sunday Sit-Down #6: Duped

Each Sunday, I’m working my way through my experiences with race. I’ll share stories and memories from throughout my life. I know I’ll encounter moments of growth that I wish I could relive. I’ll also have to think back on choices that I wish I could remake. Come join me each week. I’ve been thinkingContinue reading “Sunday Sit-Down #6: Duped”

Swinging For The Fences

I’m not going to lie. This year, I have had some SPECTACULAR fails in the classroom. And I mean, not just the oh-man-this-is-tricky-how-am-I-going-to-figure-a-different-way-of-teaching-this-to-the-kids fail. That’s just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill, cost-of-doing-business, everyday type of fail. No. I’m talking about the holy-cow-this-lesson-is-crashing-and-burning-and-I-have-absolutely-no-way-of-backing-out-of-this-and-no-way-to-figure-out-in-the-moment-how-to-make-it-better-and-why-did-I-even-bother-getting-out-of-bed-today fail. I’ve thought a lot about these fails. They haunt me. In the moment, failuresContinue reading “Swinging For The Fences”

Sunday Sit-Down #4: On the Bus

At Old Bonhomme School there was always a range of faces different from mine. I took for granted the mix of kids in my classes. As far as I knew, I went to a neighborhood school with neighborhood kids, and we all learned and played and together as one community. What I didn’t know, andContinue reading “Sunday Sit-Down #4: On the Bus”