#31 - I did it - 3rd year in a row!!

I did it!! I completed the March Slice of Life Writing Challenge
for my 3rd year!!

DAILY I made a post - that's 31 posts.

DAILY I received comments - a total of 215 comments in all!! (Thank you!!!)

DAILY I left comments for 5 new slicers as part of the Welcome Wagon, as well as, for the handful of Slicers I now feel I know because I regularly read their blogs (like Margaret and Erika) and for those I have now met in person (like Fran, Tara, Julieanne, and Michelle) and for my two friends (Fran McCrackin and Marilyn) and best of all, for my daughter (Anne)!

Looking over my daily posts, I see that I wrote:
4 poems
10 small moments
7 big idea essays
7 times I wrote, inspired by reading another Slicer's post
9 moments were school moments
4 posts were in response to a writing tip shared while spending the day learning at a Lucy Calkins conference
5 times I wrote about my class using Kidblog for the first time this month

At no time this month did I struggle to have something to write about. I think it is because I tried, for the first time this year, to just live as a writer and use something from the day to drive my post.

I also know I got so much energy to keep writing because my students were also writing up a storm!!!
Thanks to much assistance from Margaret Simon's and a Middle School colleague and my daughter, Anne, I was able to launch Kidblog with my 23 students.

Today we celebrated with an ORANGE PARTY.
Today my Kidblog DASHBOARD reads:

We graphed our posts and comments.

We reflected on our work.

Best of all, we used the very cool Blue Sky Studio in my new school to gather in. We easily airplayed Kidblog stories from our iPads to share our favorite post written this month. What a magical hour. The students picked and I "read their writing like it was gold" as Lucy suggests! And we just enjoyed hearing the stories that only we can tell!!

I can't thank the TwoWritingTeachers enough for providing this March Challenge. Looking back, I realize I have read so much this month. I have written so much this month. And most of all, I have surrounded myself with writers!! What a perfect month!!

"Come have fun playing here while your learn."

Today the architects of my new school are visiting. They hope to capture through interviews and just watching, what we think about the space they designed for us.

What do I think? What should I say during my interview?

The building they created is quite unique. Along with just being brand new, it screams "Come have fun playing here while your learn." This is loudly shouted when you leave my 2nd floor classroom and walk to the center of the 2nd floor and see THE SLIDE!

When I bring friends to see my school, they ask right away, "When do you use it?" And my reply is, "We just do." The slide is just another way to get from the 2nd to the 1st floor. My class knows that it does take a little more time to wait your turn to go down. So it is a choice. Those that really want to get outside for recess to play tag, usually take the stairs. Others say it is worth the wait. All understand that the slide is just another fun way to move in our very unique building called our school. I have come to realize that the beauty of having this feature as a permanent part of the building is that it isn't a reward. It just gets used because it screams, "Come have fun playing here while your learn."

The building also is designed to allow for tons of natural light in the classrooms and the hallways. I've worked in other schools where I've had no windows at all in my classroom or just a few. Here the outside is brought in throughout the entire building. I can't quote the science of why this is important but I can anecdotally share that I feel better in this building. I feel better because the building allows me to see the sky regularly as I have fun learning inside.

Finally, the building is designed with lots of open gathering spaces. I will admit that this is still something I am learning to figure out how to use well. As a teacher, I'm used to planning lessons and teaching them WITHIN the four walls given to me called my classroom. But this school is different. Now my students regularly spill-out into the hallway. Since the wall to the hallway of my classroom is glass, I can see them as they learn outside the four walls of my classroom. Fun chairs and stools dot the hallways, providing fun places to sit and work. Other spaces throughout the building provide spots to gather and collaborate. Many spaces, I will admit, I still need to explore with my students. And I will, as my mindset of what "my classroom" is, broadens. Really, my classroom at Discovery Elementary is THE ENTIRE school building, a building designed in my opinion as a place to PLAY while learning.

My new school, Discovery ES, truly screams, "Come have fun playing here while your learn."

Thank you, VMDO Architects!!

I'm sad

I got news today about someone leaving.
I am sad.

I am drawn to these words from the Musical, Wicked, the song FOR GOOD:
(Glinda):
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

I immediately found some comfort in knowing that, with technology, we can easily keep in touch.

I, a lover of books and believer that through story, we learn how to live, immediately thought of the book to give this person as a remembrance of our time together and a help in the future.

People will continue to cross paths with me.
And I'll continue to feel sad when they leave.

#28 I believe writing is both words and pictures!

At the beginning of the month, I was wondering about emoji. ( HERE and HERE).
A colleague didn't think kids should use them when writing their kidblog posts. I listened and wondered.

This post that I read yesterday which was typed in ONLY emoji solidified my thinking. I believe writing is both words and pictures! Therefore,  think writing with emoji IS writing.

As I type this, I'm recalling how years ago, some librarians didn't want graphic novels in their libraries. Again, I wondered. I took time to read one, Smile. I noticed as I read that not only was I enjoying a good story, I actually had to work harder to comprehend this story told mostly through pictures.

Yesterday I cooked a special birthday breakfast for my husband - German Apple Pancakes. I saw this recipe on facebook. It was want I call a video recipe. I had to watch and pause a few times to ensure I was including the right amount of each ingredient. But I loved watching how to combine the ingredients and how to cook it in the cast iron skillet in the oven. It turned out yummy! And I was able to cook it because I could read both words and pictures.

Next month, I am attended TCRWP 2nd Annual Digital and Media Institute. I'm not surprised at all that this literacy think tank now offers an institute devoted to figuring out ways to help teach reading and writing specific to our digital and media world.

From emoji to graphic novels to video recipes, as a reader and writer, I will continue to honor both words and pictures!! Because I believe writing is both words and pictures!

A Long Phone Call (as a found poem)

As I prepare to teach a Poetry Unit, I found directions for writing a FOUND POEM on the amazing  website of Kenn Nesbitt - How to Create a Found Poem

Using the directions, I took the slice I wrote on March 22 and used the words to FIND A POEM inside!

First, I copied the words into a word document and highlighted some in YELLOW.

Then I opened a second blank word document. I started to add on the blank page, the highlighted words to form a poem. It looked like this on my computer screen:

And now here is my slice of Life today -

A Long Phone Call
(as a found poem)

I texted, “I’m free to chat today”

“How about in 20 minutes?”

A happy face reply

I send.

The phone rings

To free up my hands

I place the phone on speaker

And asked, “So tell me why this company?”

Lots of rattling off of lists

Of ideas that attracted her

Clarifying questions posed

Brainstorming together

And clearer answers practiced.

A beep from the phone signals "low battery"

and shows the beginning of 

hour three of this conversation.

“I think I better go. I hope this helped.”

Now off the phone 

I think

Hire her.

Any company 

would be lucky.

Now off the phone

I plead

Treat her well,

As a valued employee

With time off to enjoy 

and not just work.

Before That

Before That

I opened my eyes, removed the earplugs from my ears, turned off my kindle and the light and went back to sleep.

I climbed into bed, propped up with 2 pillows, placed the ear plugs into my ears, clicked on my kindle fire and picked Episode 49 of House of Cards to view.

I turned on the shower, very hot, to soothe my aching muscles.

I enjoyed pizza and popcorn while watching my favorite basketball team, Virginia, move into the Elite Eight after beating Iowa State easily.

I texted my friend, "Did you see that move?" as I watched the instant replay to actually see the behind-the-back pass.

I watched a VA player bring the ball down the court, and then suddenly he didn't have the ball but the player on his right did and he scored.

I saw Anna at Pietaza as I picked up a pizza to enjoy while watching the VA basketball game.

I washed my hands, covered with dirt from cutting away the overgrown bamboo seeping into our yeard from our neighbor's yard.

I grabbed the rake, the branch trimmer and lawn waste bags and headed to the back yard.

I drove home glad to have connected with a SOL blogging friend in person.

I drove two counties over to meet in person a SOL blogging friend for breakfast.

I awoke ready to start my seventh day of Spring Break.

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I've seen this form of poetry last year and this year.
With days to go in this challenge, describing my Friday in this form, seemed to work.

Learning about the next chapter - retirement!

I had friends over on Tuesday for lunch. I met these friends 15 years ago when I started teaching at their school. Now they have all retired. As one arrived, she said, "I just love being retired. I am so busy, I don't know how I would get it all done if I was still working!" I loved hearing all their stories relating to the next chapter, even though for me, it feels very far away. 

As they left, I found comfort in knowing there is so much to do each day, no matter what our age or stage in life! They kindly brought me flowers and gifts. So as the weekend begins, I still am remembering these great ladies as I see them all around my house.