Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers.

My desk before Reader’s Workshop yesterday
Responsive Teacher
Messy Teacher
Hardworking Teacher
Tired Teacher
Assessments, data, mini-lessons, conferences, strategy groups, read aloud,
planning, teaching, demonstration pages, Anchor charts,
Engagement Inventories, grading…*
Tired Teacher
Hardworking Teacher
Messy Teacher
Responsive Teacher

*Wait. Is this a song?**

Mini Lessons, then confer, group your kids, hope goals Transfer
Anchor charts, assessment data, demonstration pages
Read to self, read aloud, ELA will make us proud
Essential questions, inquiry, hope your work engages

Understandings, knows and do’s, google docs – no time to snooze
Study data, write it down, buy some stock in post-its
Reader’s Notebooks, more directions, closely read the text collections
Follow kids and write them back, love those kids the mostest

We didn’t start — we’re trying!
Students, geared for learning
as the year starts turning
We didn’t start — we’re trying
Workshop’s just beginning
Soon we will be winning!

Find a book, check it out, ask a question if in doubt
Whole group meetings, someday lists, readers make plans
Talk to kids, give high fives, workshop norms and reading lives
Much to do to get a classroom full of reading fans!

We didn’t start — we’re trying!
Students, geared for learning
as the year starts turning
We didn’t start — we’re trying
Workshop’s just beginning
Soon we will be winning!

**My apologies to Billy Joel and my thanks to Mr. Thought who is somehow an expert on the meter and rhyme of We Didn’t Start the Fire, as in: “I used to sing this all the time in 1990. I had the whole thing memorized.”

Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers.

I know it's not a good idea to multi-task... 
but I would love to be able to write my slice as I'm going through my day.
This morning's play by play slice would be something like this: 

Right now I am. . . 

Wishing my computer would connect to the internet so I can print my sub plans
Talking to helpdesk on the phone while my students watch announcements
Restarting chrome
Restarting chrome
Restarting chrome
Trying firefox
Giving up
Realizing that now I can't project a "Right Now" slice 
as a model for my class
Taking out my phone to use instead
Copying part of a "Right Now" slice onto the board
Sending students off to try their own. 
Hoping my computer works for the next class
Teaching teaching teaching
Restarting Chrome
Failing at technology
Worrying about printing afternoon plans
Sharing my sloppily written whiteboard slice with my other class

Wishing  my doc cam worked
Challenging Students to write a bunch of "ing" verbs and then 
to finish the thoughts

Taking on the challenge myself on the whiteboard.
Wondering about the one table of boys who hasn't noticed 
that everyone else is writing or watching me write.

Joking with students
Having fun
Making mistakes
Modelling slice-writing
Being flexible
Learning with kids
Teaching Writing

Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers.

I’m feeling overwhelmed, you know. My desk is piled.  I’m working so much…my to do list grows and grows, and priorities are hard to make. Reading Pernille today helped me. She says “yet,” and I agree. I’m just not there yet. However, within the beginning of the year stress, there were lovely things about today.  There’s that.

I wrote with my students today. There’s that. We sliced.

I read with my students today. There’s that. The One and Only Ivan. Then Rain Reign with my second reading class. These are the books they voted on. I warned them we would need tissues.

I planned with my friend and colleague  today. There’s that. I’m ready for tomorrow. I am. And beyond! (I am!)

I even made dinner for my family, and took the dog on a walk – with my 13 year-old daughter too. There’s that. The chat with her, I’ll have that every day please.

After getting the kids to bed, I did more work. There’s that. I love my job, I love this work.

And look! I sliced! There’s that.