SOL: Day 12/31--Long Live Facebook

SLICE OF LIFE: Day 12/31

We met at the Best Western at 6:55 a.m., jumped in the van and took off for our one hour drive across the flood drenched lands of northern Indiana this morning. Our destination: All Day Conference With Carl Anderson.

Yes, I did learn tons, as I always do from him. Yes, I got to see many of my friends from all across the area. Yes, I DID buy more books. But, my Slice of Life has to be the interacting of Facebook we got today. What fun!

I am a fan of the crazy new fad that is increasing daily. I am hooked. Then Carl talks to us about adding new friends to his site. He is up to 100 now...okay, okay, so it is 101 as of tonight. The deal is, I have relatives all over the USA. Now I can see what they are doing. I have former students also all over the USA. Now I know where they are and what their lives are like after second grade. I have classmates from high school and college that I have not heard from in years. I have found them again. And, yes, I am one of the 'friends' on Carl's list!!

It was so much fun posting small message back to Carl as we drove home from the conference. It was so interesting to see who was added to my friend's list when I got home. I love that Carl says even this form of writing is part of the new digital writing world. Another real reason to write. This is a weird Slice of Life, but in our ever changing world...Long Live Facebook!!!

SLICE OF LIFE: Day 11/31--Small Moments in the Classroom

SLICE OF LIFE: DAY 11/31

Today was one of those days that make me happy to be working where I am doing what I do. I started the day off at a school working with a teacher on data from DIBELS. I know, it takes a special person to like that sort of thing, but I really do. Then I worked in three classrooms. After that I maneuvered around the closed roads due to flooding in our city of three rivers! (What do you expect with three rivers in the spring?) I made it to the office for lunch in time to rush to another building with my boss to do a data meeting with a new principal. The end of my day was spent in writing lessons for another unit of study: Third Grade Feature Articles.

My Slice of Life came from one of the classrooms. I was able to work with a second grade today. My favorite grade. I taught that level for many years and still miss it. I am so happy when some second grade teacher asks me in to work with her/him. Today we were beginning response to literature. They have been talking about books all year, but today we started a formal study. I worked with something I like to call: Pass The Book.

We started off talking about what we like to talk about when we talk about books. We charted our thinking. Then I read the book: SWISH! They loved it! Even if it is about "girls" playing basketball! We quickly circled up on the floor from our previous "mashed potatoes" formation. I started the process by saying, "SWISH! I loved the way the author kept me on the edge of my seat when they were about to lose the game." The book was passed and each student gave their thinking.

They then went back to their seats to make their thinking visible by writing. I pulled up next to one little boy who had written: "I liked it when they won the game." I questioned him more. Then he responded: "At first I was thinking they wouldn't win the game. But then my thinking changed because the ball was going closer and closer to the basket and I thought they would win the game."

What smart thinking for a seven year old. Naturally, I had him write that on his paper and made him famous at sharing time. Little Slices of Life can be found anywhere!

SLICE OF LIFE: Day 10/31--A Breath of Fresh Air on a Rainy Day

SLICE OF LIFE: Day 10/31







Today was the last Beginning Writers Workshop for our district. We have met three times over the year. It is so inspiring to see teachers get excited about teaching again. Several little memories stuck with me today as we bid farewell to these educators.

First of all, this morning Mindy was teaching about narrative writing. I have heard her do this lesson many times. I was there when we all developed them several years ago. Still, I never fail to still learn from them. What she said today was about personal narratives. She talked about them being nonfiction. I knew they were, but it never really registered with me. She said, "The reason we write personal narratives is so people can connect with them." Reading the blogs today, I understood that statement more than ever. I read the blogs and the ones I enjoy most are those in which I connect!

Next, we went into two classrooms to have teachers model writers workshop...one primary and one intermediate. I went with the intermediate teachers. Jen was modeling persuasive writing. After the workshop we went out and she debriefed with us. In the debriefing time, she made the comment that her journey started three years ago when she went to a Beginning Writers Workshop just like this one. It hit me how the circle keeps going...now she is modeling and teaching others what she learned.

Last of all, Mindy and I gathered the evaluations at the end of the day when everyone had left. We sat at a back table and read each one. It was so encouraging to read their comments. To hear a teacher say that even after teaching for many years it was great to be enthused about it again. To hear young teachers say they could hardly wait to get back into the classroom and try things they had seen.

On this otherwise rainy day, it is a breath of fresh air to participate in such a learning Slice of Life!

SLICE OF LIFE: Day 9/31--It started with endings

SLICE OF LIFE: DAY 9/31

I started my day in a third grade classroom. The students have been writing all year. After talking with the teacher about my visit to their room, we decided that these writers needed to work on endings. She said they just kind of stopped and then wrote: THE END.

I pulled an ending lesson from Ralph and JoAnn's Craft Lessons. It was a simple lesson, but had the punch these writers needed. I sent them off to work on their current projects, or to go back into their notebooks and find something in which they could work on an ending. They all got busy as soon as they got to their seats. The teacher and I settled in to conference with various students.

The first boy I worked with was writing a story about going to the theater with his family. They had gotten their early and he suggested they go out to eat until the show started. He ended the story with a feeling of happiness with the wonderful day he spent.

The next boy was making a list in a journal of things he wanted. His title was: 'I want a'. When I glanced at the front of the journal I noticed it was a poetry journal. After his long list of things he wanted: computer, wii, X box.... he said: I really want it...please, please, please! What a great poem.

A girl I worked with was doing a "How-To" piece. She was writing 'How to play the wii'. The girl next to her said her mom wanted to get her one, but she didn't know how to play it. I confessed I didn't either. D. told us the way to pick a game and exactly how to play it. I suggested she just write what she told us. For her ending she was going to use: Go play and be happy!

So many genres! Such great writers! What a Slice of Life!!!

SLICE OF LIFE: Day8/31--Good-byes are Tough!

SLICE OF LIFE: Day 8/31--Saying Good-bye

Today was rainy all day long. With the springing ahead of the clocks, it made it tough to get up for church and Sunday school. However, we had a combined service and that made it easier since it was the late service time we went to today. It was awesome to see everyone at the same time. The music and sermon were inspiring and motivating.

Then later that day I went back to church. This time it was not something I enjoy. One of my friends and fellow Sunday School class member passed away on Friday. The viewing was today. He was such a quiet, easy-going man that was always there for you. His smile and concern were apparent. We stood in line about an hour to get to the front of the line. That is how popular and respected he was.

He will be missed by so many. His place in the class will always be empty in my opinion. I know he is in a better place and is finally at peace. Still, that doesn't help our missing him here. I am just so thankful he knew the Lord and we all know we will be able to see him again! Good-byes are a Slice of Life we don't really like!

SLICE OF LIFE: Day 7/31--Things aren't always what you plan!

SLICE OF LIFE: Day 7/31

Rainy, cloudy, with a chance of storms. That is what I would say if I were the weather forecaster. It is warm and that makes it almost worth the cloudy, rainy day. A perfect day for cleaning. That is what I did all morning: clean the back bedroom, dust everything and vacuum the floors. Then we took some time off to go out for lunch.

Driving to our destination, I began to feel funny. Maybe I was just hungry. Maybe it was because I had exercised while hungry and exercised HARD. Maybe I was getting the bug everyone around me has been experiencing. I was starved so the grilled chicken salad tasted great and I scarfed it down. Still didn't feel the best. We made a couple more stops and then got home.

My next project was to tackle all the lessons I had to prepare for next week's classes. I have four lessons and two collaborations on Monday. Not an easy schedule. I have them all listed out. I need to prepare a whole unit of study for persuasive writing for some 4th and 5th grades. I need to review Acuity data for 4th grade. I need to work on an author study and some how-to books. All just for Monday! My stomach tightens up just thinking about it.

I think I will begin with the Author Study and How-to books...then take a nap. Everything's better after a nap! My Slice of Life is that sometimes things don't work out the way you had planned them to work out!

SLICE OF LIFE: Day 6/31--Debbie Miller Visits

SLICE OF LIFE: 6/31

Today was the day we had been waiting for! The weather was perfect: partly cloudy with the sun peeking through and in the high 60s. For northern Indiana, that was about the best for which we could hope. I got up early and had butterflies already. I rushed out of the house with my bottle of water and got to the school by 7:20. That's early for me! Everything was already in place: chairs to fit over 40 people, overhead in case she needed it and the visiting classrooms looked terrific.

At about 7:55 here she came walking up the hallway with Starbuck coffee container in her hand and that big smile on her face. I knew we could do it! Today was the day Debbie Miller came to visit our elementary school to model Reading Workshop in front of 40+ teachers.

The students were wonderful, so smart. They opened up and shared their thinking. Thinking that they didn't even know they had. From working with J. with her funking little braids all over her head, to coaxing M. into talking when he wasn't sure he wanted to, she brought enthusiasm back into the lives of many teachers.

This Slice of Life was a once in a life time slice. One that will live on with many of us for years to come. One that will change lives all over northern Indiana. There is now a huge Debbie Miller fan club in the All Write!!! area.