Slicing Ideas

       I'm slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community today. It's always a pleasure to read what everyone writes about their lives.

"A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man's brow." - Ovid

        I've seen more than one teacher share this week that students will be having more choice in more than one thing this coming school year, where they sit, what they read, what they write, etc. And as my path wanders through blogs I read, I have also seen several write about ideas (in choice?), their origin, what one does with them, how to get the most of them, and on. So I began to wonder  how I would handle ideas? What would I say, would there be some criteria like in the case of classroom spaces, would it be reasonable? For older students, would it be good to have a conversation about what works in the classroom, and what may not? 
         I taught in a progressive school. Students had a lot of choice, but there were different expectations set, sometimes by students guided by the teacher, sometimes by teachers, with student guidance. For example, if there was a set of criteria for writing personal narratives, mentor text examination and discussions created some backing for what they looked like, and broad interpretations were included. However, sometimes there were structures in place, say, in a debate. They were researched by students, procedures set by students, and evaluated by students. I was a participant only as a member of the crowd. 

Slicing and Wondering

      I'm slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community today. It's always good to read what everyone shares.  Thank you Stacey, Tara, Anna, Betsy, Dana, Kathleen, Beth, and Deb. 

      Congratulations for the honor of being chosen as the best group blog in the Edublogs awards. You would continue to do wonderful work no matter what, but it's always nice to be acknowledged for it. Terrific end of year accolade!

           It's time to ponder the year behind us, and look forward to 2016, too. I might write a post about 2015, another year of changes for me, but this time I am looking forward, and I wonder, sometimes seriously, outward and inward . . . 

       (As I re-read my post, I also wondered from a teacher's view: Isn't this isn't the way one wants our students to think, self-reflect and then answer with a plan? Further work will be needed; further research done, but the student takes the first step.)

When I wrote, I found I needed to reply with a second wonder. You'll see why!

I wonder how everyone will work to make change so that we no longer rise in the morning and hear of yet another tragedy because of guns or bombs?
(Do I have an organization that I trust and support to help do this?)

I wonder if people will try very hard to be kind to each other because of OR in spite of differences?
(Do I have an idea of how to reply kindly even when disagreeing?)

I wonder if we can finally, finally help everyone obtain health coverage?
(There are such worries when medical bills pile up and up. Do I know who might be good to contact to show my concern?)

New Times Coming

 Slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community is a pleasure.  Thank you Stacey, Tara, Anna, Betsy, Dana, Kathleen, Beth, and Deb.

      I haven't posted in several weeks. For the first time in a while, I didn't think I had a good slice to write. I've been reading and sharing books, writing and sharing poetry, but the busy days slipped by without a topic I really wanted to share. My slices of time have filled up with tasks and company and things I needed to do. Starting one day this week, one slice of time will be something I've wanted to do all my life. I'm going to start working at a nearby used bookstore. I've been going to this store for a long time, even before I moved nearby, and now that I have time, I've contacted them, and will volunteer for one four hour shift every week! It is a coop, run by few paid employees, mostly volunteers, has been in business over forty years. I've had one shift being trained, am nervous and excited all at the same time. Unless one counts a job at a jewelry store in college where I only cleaned the counters, I have never worked in any retail operation. But, I have worked in books! And I am looking forward to taking this new challenge. FYI-I promise not to purchase books every week, REALLY! And I will share more after I've worked a few weeks.

Some favorite bookstore books:  

• The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - Gabrielle Zevin
• The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: A Memoir, A History - Lewis Buzbe
• The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Community, Friendship and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book - Wendy Welch

There are more! 

Another Look at Poetry Breaks

    It's Tuesday, time for a slice of life!  Come visit all the links at the Two Writing Teachers blog!

          It's also Poetry Month, and on Tuesdays, I am choosing to share a poetry lesson.  This is lesson two, another about line breaks, but this time, I use poems to teach about enjambment, defined as the continuation of a sentence or clause over a line-break.  
          As a poetry group, before this lesson, we've already shared lots of poems we love by others, and read and responded to each others' original poems. We have talked about poets taking special care when they want the reader to pause, i.e., create a line break.  I usually meet with the group only as a facilitator, and share tips and knowledge as it seems appropriate to what is being written or shared.  There always is a good time for this lesson, one of revision.  

The Fifth Year of Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Challenge

   It is the fifth year of the March Slice of Life Challenge with Ruth and Stacey at their Two Writing Teachers blog.  This link speaks about starting a blog if you need one, but the basic challenge is to post every day in March and to support others through your comments.  At this post, scroll down to see the comments of others who blog with us.  It's such a supportive and wonderful community of bloggers.  One learns much about oneself and others by writing.  Please take the plunge and join us.

Almost A Million Words!

Slice of Life Reflection - April 1, 2011 Time for a little fooling around!

Sixty plus slices times thirty-one days in March equals 1860 posts, where we

Loved all the words, averaging 300 plus. That’s well over half a million words!

In a nutshell, every one a gem, waiting only for a comment to add to the sparkle,

Challenge met by writers often wise in their words, sometimes weary in their hearts, but always willing to share their thoughts with others.

Evidence of a close group, though newly born, now waiting for toddlerhood.

Thanks for the memories! And I'd also like to thank my slicing buddy, CS Petersen, at http://prosecents.blogspot.com/ who helped keep me going. We're going to try to find more buddies at school to slice with us on Tuesdays!

One Way To Say Goodbye

Slice of Life Challenge #31 - March 31, 2011

Wow! Can't believe I managed the whole month. What a wonderful time!

Most of you who have read my posts perhaps have realized that I like poetry, a lot! I am excited that April is almost here, and I am writing and creating some ideas to do with students and for other teachers to do during poetry month when we return to school after break.

One of the things that I will miss this school year because I’m not in my own classroom anymore is finding and preparing a goodbye poem for my class. I collect poems with a ‘goodbye’ theme. Most of the time I have used them for the end of the year, but I also just collect them in my journals. For class, I have typed them, copied them onto colored tag, and laminated them to give on the last day of school. It’s part of the traditional closure activities that all of us do in one form or another. I realize that some students may not keep them, but students through the years return and ask if I am still handing out poems, and that she or he still had them.

So many of you have been kind and gracious enough to read and reply to what I’ve written that I am thrilled, grateful, and more than a little sad that the month is over. I have loved reading all of your posts, learning new ways to say things, learning that to dig deeply into feelings may be much of what writing is all about. It’s a wonderful trip that Two Writing Teachers has taken us on, and I appreciate it all.

I have written a goodbye poem to you all, to send you on your way back to your lives, wherever your paths take you. Best of my wishes to you.

Transition

They say it is a passing

of one condition, form, stage, activity, etc.

to another.

They say—for grace—

to show kindness, flexibility,

and again and again,

to be civil.

Yet movement

of any kind

requires

muscle

that I resist

exercising—

when saying goodbye.

In this exertion

I find myself

weak, flabby and uncoordinated.

I stumble, sigh

and finally cry.

Forgive me.

Here also are a few goodbye poems from others I have collected – some are found in anthologies, but I was unable to find a link on the Internet.

“Thoughts That Were Put Into Words” - Karla Kuskin

found in Paul Janeczko’s The Place My Words Are Looking For

“Goodbye” – quote from Dr. Seuss

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/how_did_it_get_so_late_so_soon-its_night_before/202976.html

“Sometimes Goodbye” Mandie McDougal

http://www.makinglemonade.com/newcreative/creative_goodbye.htm

“You Reading This, Be Ready” William Stafford

http://www.williamstafford.org/spoems/pages/youreading.html

“The Gift” Gregory Denman

When You've Made it Your Own... Teaching Poetry to Young People

“On The Other Side of The Door” Jeff Moss from the book by the same name

“Leaving” Judith W. Steinbergh

Paul Janeczko’s Looking for Your Name : A Collection of Contemporary Poems

“Gather Ye Rosebuds’ Dorothy K. Fletcher

Life's changes are not always good

Slice of Life Challenge #30 - March 30, 2011

This is the first time I’ve written about this, and it’s not easy to put into words. In January, my son, daughter-in-law, and 9-year-old grandson moved out of state. I still feel tender about the move, wanting so much to be supportive of my son and his need to find the next opportunity of his career, but still missing them so much. Because they were selling their home, my grandson and his mom stayed here from September when my son left, and I picked my grandson up from school three days a week. He has stayed with us often from babyhood, so it was an easy transition, just more regular than usual.

I loved the time, and there were even some whole weekends with him. I love his easiness to be with, his enthusiasm for nearly everything we proposed, and the crazy fun things we did, like getting ice cream at Baskin Robbins on Fridays, then walking around the parking lot while eating, looking for dropped coins and interesting rocks in the landscaped areas. We played endless games of a silly card game called Ruckus, and ate quite a bit of apple pie. I took lots of photos, mainly of funny faces, sometimes with his grandpa, and sometimes of him throwing the football, which he loves to do. One is in this post. I’ve actually learned to pass pretty well myself during the hours we’ve spent together.

My grandson has always been in my life, and now he isn’t. We are e-mailing and calling, keeping in touch, but it isn’t easy with a young boy-can’t pass a football across the miles. We will go on our annual summer trip together and visit as often as possible. I hope our new kind of relationship will be strong, and fun, long distance. But I do miss him very much.

So-from another source, my newest inspiration: “If you want something you’ve never had before, you have to do something you’ve never done before.” I am working hard to learn from this, especially because of today’s story. Life isn’t so easy some of the time.

A new look at writing what you know

Slice of Life Challenge #29 - March 29, 2011

In preparation for poetry month, I’m still trying to write some different styles of poetry in order to show students the possibilities. Here’s a follow up to writing what you know a little differently. All of us, students included, grow up hearing different ‘wise old sayings’ from family (and even teachers) to help guide our lives. So, to take one of those and imagine what might be the origin is the idea. It can be as serious or as humorous as wished.

Mythology Hurts

It’s ever interesting

to contemplate

the crack

on the sidewalk,

to guess what

kind of person could

possibly believe that

even a faint touch

could harm someone.

Who created this myth

that utters threats to

youth

to beware of their

actions,

to check all their

Impulses,

to mind what they’re

told?

It has to have been

someone’s mother,

wise in her discipline

or wicked, or just

plain tricky.

The beauty of sunrise that greets me

Slice of Life Challenge #28 March 28, 2011

I was up early this morning, & the sun, per usual was arising. It was so beautiful that I just grabbed the camera & took some photos. Here’s one of the good ones. Don’t we have a wonderful view from the back of our home? I had hoped to post this earlier, but several phone calls from friends kept me talking instead of writing.

More to get ready for poetry month:

Poems written upon awakening at dawn are called aubades.

dawn awakens hope

sun’s circle takes me into

good slices of life

Carrying the important things

Slice of Life Challenge - March 27, 2011

We are keeping our "almost" two year old granddaughter this weekend, and among all the words she knows how to say, and all the things she likes to do, I am struck by how happy she is. No matter what we set out to do, she is delighted to do it. There are many reasons why this is, but one of them is that her parents ensure that she has what is important to her 'with' her. She has brought a little bag of her cars, from the movie Cars, which she adores. She has brought a stuffed cat, buffalo, horse, and dog along with a pile of favorite books. At our house, when she naps or goes to sleep at night, she piles in the favorites: all the animals, a couple of the books, and then asks for the blankies- which live here. One is a tiny baby blanket, blue & white checked, and the other is a small afghan, made by a great aunt for her mother when she was a baby. Once gathered, my granddaughter smiles, says 'nighty-night' and settles in for sleep.

I wonder, if we could choose a few things to carry with us, what we would choose to make us happy and content, like my granddaughter?

Poetry month is almost here!

Slice of Life # 26 - March 26, 2011

I'm on spring break, poetry month is coming, and we might have a little snow. I’m wondering if even during spring break I’ll be able to do some gardening. It’s been a strange winter, hardly any moisture at all, and now, in the first weeks of spring, winter returns. I tell my students to write about the little things, and sometimes the big things, but about themselves personally. So here is a little thing really, considering the lives of so many in peril, but still…

Regret

I’ve already washed the shorts,

retrieved the summer shirts,

and now I must burrow back

to the farthest parts of the closet

where sweaters reside—

previously so satisfyingly warm,

now scratchy and heavy.

I reach high to pull out the boots

from the top shelf,

find the wool socks,

and go to shovel the sidewalk.

Spring promises such freedom;

no more minutes spent with layers.

I don’t have to warm the car.

I can touch the grass with my toes.

Is Spring always just around the corner?

Why won’t Winter go

and make a hasty exit

instead of lingering until

each snowflake has its dance?

Watching Dancing With The Stars

Slice of Life Challenge # 25 - March 25, 2011

I wonder if anyone has ever thought of the difference between the quickstep and the waltz in dancing, and applied it to their students? The quickstep seems to rise above the music, hardly landing before it moves on to the next place. Yet it is enthusiastic, pulling people along into its vacuum of action like a tornado. It moves and grabs, moves and grabs.

The waltz, conversely, takes its time and allows one to savor the sound, be intentional in the movement, and drift deeper into the meaning of the music. I enjoy both dances, having watched them often enough on Dancing With the Stars, and don't want to choose a favorite. They both possess unique attributes. I work hard to have my appreciation for different kinds of students be applied in the same way. Each has his or her own lovely ways about them.

Additionally, thinking of my conversations with students as I evaluate their work, for some very odd reason, when Dancing With The Stars started a new season this week, I began to hear the judges’ words in a different way. This time, because it was the first performance, I heard them be cautious with their assessment, trying to offer at least a little credence to the dancers’ efforts. The judges wanted to help motivate the dancers to improve, certainly not to give up hope after only the first program! (It’s not economically advisable.) I thought for the most part that they were sensitive, supportive, and motivating—how I’d like to be as a teacher.

I rarely look at the differences in order to judge who might be the better learner, only to see how someone learns better. This is a bit awkwardly put, but I really mean that as everyone is different, each teacher has to use the personal ways students learn, and learn to teach that way. Some students might have more challenges at first than others, in order to meet some criteria, but really, we all don't have to get to the same destination by the same path ever. As I watch the dancing week by week, I see those who may have been struggling mightily at first actually present lovely dances in later performances. As our students are all so different, I wonder about us teachers as we ask them to do the same thing, and excel the same way; and I continue to wonder and question why. And I wonder if it’s economically advisable?

New skills learned, or maybe not

Slice of Life # 24 - March 24, 2011

Since I moved out of the classroom & into a support role as Literacy Coach this year, I have rather meandered my way down the path, learning as I traveled. At first I thought talking to colleagues, both individually & in groups (small & large) would not be the same as talking to my students. I think I was wrong.

There are some basics that remain no matter whom you are working with: I believe in community building, finding good ways to connect personally. In conversations, I listen more than talk, nudge more than shove, show interest & support in what they are doing more than what I believe should be done. I show appreciation for all that is accomplished, whether baby steps, or giant ones. And, I try to be a resource when asked, rather than an expert who knows all. Do I take the wrong path once in a while? Of course. But the most important thing I've learned this year is that the same philosophy for helping others learn holds for everyone-from birth on. It's been a wonderful, new kind of year for me, but I guess I can say that I love my 'colleagues' just as much as I loved my students last year, & will look forward to learning beside them again next year.

Sharing Means Everything!

Slice of Life 23, March 23, 2011

“The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs.” Vance Havner

In the past month, I’ve been writing in a 5th/6th grade classroom, holding a workshop with students in non-fiction writing, specifically personal essays and memoir. I’ve written and shared and taught and evaluated.

It’s a wonderful class of students, eager to try new ideas, welcoming me in every way. I loved every minute of the time with them! In the final session, I held a final conversation with the group, asking several questions, the answers which we recorded on a chart: What parts of the workshop did you like, what parts were most helpful, what parts were challenging, and what have you found that you do best in writing? Most were forthright in saying that writing several drafts and finding new ways to say things was difficult. They ‘loved’ their words so it was hard to find new ways to say things.

They also said they enjoyed the lessons where we worked in specific areas (new kinds of leads, looking at beginnings of sentences, etc.). However, what I believe so strongly, and what they said often was how much they loved the peer response/review times. They liked the talk about their writing, hearing compliments about what others liked, hearing ideas for revision. Although it is so often difficult to find the time, I have worked very hard through the years to allow students to read others’ work and to respond-mostly orally, but also with sticky notes. Students listen to their peers in many ways, sometimes negatively, so it makes sense to take advantage of their influence and use it in positive ways.

My beliefs that peer influence in writing and other student work is strong, and has been supported over and over during these days of the Slice of Life challenge. Working to write my best for all of you and reading your comments gives me such motivation that I wake up every morning already trying to choose the topic of the day. I have tried to read as many posts as possible-starting early, ending late-hoping that some of my words give a boost. Sharing parts of my life in writing is scary, and I have learned that too, and will remember when I want students to share to give them safety in the sharing, as the comments you have made do for me.

Thank you everyone!

Some things I know I'll never give away!

Slice of Life # 22 - March 22, 2011

Books and articles can be found often today about cleaning out the clutter. The web site e-how contains tip after tip for getting rid of “stuff”: tips to reduce, organize, feng shui, clear, and clean your clutter. So do About.com, and a myriad of other help sites on the Internet. There are lists of books on Amazon.com that offer the same kind of help, even more detailed, entering the psychological motivation of saving stuff. And if you still haven’t been convinced to engage in a battle with your belongings, just watch the TV show Hoarders, a true-life lesson in what may happen if you don’t start the fight now!

My husband and I have lived in our current home since the 1970’s. We both accumulate things and like lots of stuff, but we are organized and are not over the top yet. We take items to second-hand stores, I routinely give away books to my colleagues at school, and we have given quite a few things to our children. Yet, we have so much more to do. We are finding homes for things we no longer find useful or needed. My husband did a lot of beadwork earlier in his life, but he hasn’t for years, and he would like to find a person who would use and enjoy the materials. And-my mother was a knitter. I have saved her knitting basket, with yarn and needles, hoping that someday I would learn to knit. I don’t think it’s going to happen. When I spend time sitting, I’m always going to be reading or writing.

This is quite a long introduction to my point. Although we have a goal of cleaning out the clutter, keeping only those things that are meaningful to us, I want to emphasize that we are never going to give away the LL Bean, ragg wool cardigan that hangs in the back hall. It’s old, has holes in the elbows, but it still zips and is very very warm. Everyone in the family, as well as guests, has worn it at one time or another. Sometimes people fight over it. My grandson has grown old enough to wear it. There are things that mean something because they’re valuable in dollars, and there are things that are valuable because they create a thread of memory. My children come for a visit, say “there’s the sweater” and somehow feel comforted that although there are new cabinets in the kitchen, the house is a different color, and a new car is in the driveway, the sweater remains—a comforting and ‘warm’ memory of their past.

More About the Moon

Slice of Life # 21 - March 21, 2011

Several times through the years I have facilitated a moon journaling unit in my class, with the help of a wonderful professional book, Moon Journals: Writing, Art, and Inquiry Through Focused Nature Study, by Joni Chancer and Gina Rester-Zodrow. Other books with moon themes like Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen, Many Moons by James Thurber, along with native American tales of the moon, enhanced our study. We journaled every night for five weeks, at first waiting for, and then observing our wonderful earth's moon. We wrote, sketched, questioned, watched with family and friends, and concluded with a full moon walk.

Since that time, I have continued to be so aware of the moon in its cycles and its beauty. I am lucky enough to have a marvelous view at the back of my house, hence the photo posted yesterday of the special, 'super' moon. I collect poems and quotes about the moon, and have written quite a few poems through the years, especially during the moon journaling time. Here is the latest one, written on Sunday, a response to our 'super' moon on Saturday night. According to the Farmer's Almanac, it can be known as the full worm moon, the full crow moon or the full crust moon-all connected to the end of winter, beginning of spring.

The breeze blew the moon

into the branches

of a tree last night.

It was a rose petal gone astray—

no cheese at all!

Oops! Time Passing

Last night - full moon
March 20, 2011 Slice of Life # 20

There was a moment yesterday when I paused to capture the afternoon in my mind. A group of photos wouldn’t have been enough. My husband & I were visiting our daughter, son-in-law & granddaughter because they were re-staining their fence & needed help.

The sun shone, it was the day before spring, we talked & laughed. Painting along, amid words of “oops, I’m dripping all over my shoes”, & “how are you getting between the cracks?”, my daughter & I talked, about her work & the new baby coming, along with important although small decisions like how they might arrange the baby’s bed in the same room as the older sister.

My daughter mentioned that the baby was moving, it was almost halfway to the birth, & we both said “oops”. It may seem like an odd response, but it is thought-filled, of time passing so fast. It is difficult to believe that they already have an almost two year old-walking & talking & climbing, are about to celebrate their ten year wedding anniversary. The cliché, seems like just yesterday, holds true again. I am reminded of the poem, “Little Girl Grown”, by Arlene Mandell. Oops.

Our granddaughter woke up from her nap; we walked all over the yard, looking for tiny green things poking up. She says, ‘green’ & ‘flowers’. I say, ‘let’s look some more’. We meandered, my daughter joined us, & her daughter showed her ‘flowers’, ‘green’. An afternoon of work & visiting ended with talk of how good the fence looked, plates of pizza & bottles of beer. Tired we were, time had passed again, but in a beautiful way. Oops!

Happy spring everyone!

The Day Before The First Day of Spring

March 19, 2011 19th Slice of Life

As I have been writing with a poetry group of middle school students, I have an audience that is supportive & that I want to please, but also it's important to model different areas of poetry. Students have personal choice in this group, & try on different poetry 'hats' to seek one they love to wear & that they feel they are good at. I copy the poems so that we can see the poem while the author reads it, & so each of us, at the end of the group, have quite a lot of poems to re-read, to savor, & these are by their classmates! We also share poems by published writers where I am often amazed at the breadth & depth of what they find to bring to the group, & at what they like. It's a lovely experience each year. However, this year I do not have my own classroom anymore, & another teacher has shared some of his students so that I can have a group again. I am grateful! This week we have been examining the rhythm of poetry.

My poem for the Monday meeting:

The Day Before The First Day of Spring

I want

I want

More warmth than a hot bath

gives me

More color than seed catalogs

show me

More light than Edison invented

for me

I want Spring!

I want

I want

Fewer clothes than Winter

allows me

Fewer curtains closing the outdoors

from me

Fewer colds requiring tissues

around me

I want Spring!

A book spine poem

a book spine poem
March 18th-Slice of Life # 18 I also read some of the blogs that celebrate poetry Friday, & this week 100 Scope Notes is featuring book spine poems-leading up to April poetry month. I thought I'd try one. I have so many books & they are all over the house, so am amused thinking of putting 'poems' on various shelves to see who might notice them. As I dust the shelves, I will now be looking for lines of poetry along with my usual thoughts about my favorite books, books I haven't read, books that people have given us--certainly loads of nice memories.