Category Archives: Slice of Life

Slices: Bikes, rides, and getting back on

June 23, 2015Family, Slice of Lifechildhood, Slice of Lifeonathought

Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers. Head over there for info and links to more Slicing!

It’s a long story, why everyone needed a bike at the same time –Why we ended up at the store even after other, more sustainable, cheaper options were suggested. But that’s where we were. All the other shoppers looked at me like I was crazy – buying 4 bikes at once. I wanted to explain to each evil eye: “My bike was stolen 2 years ago! My daughter’s bike is too small and broken! My 8 year old has been riding my hand me down bike for 2 years! It has no gears! My 5 year old tried a goodwill bike last year and it wouldn’t pedal, and the training wheels bent…” But instead, I smiled and laughed at us… the kids riding their bikes to the checkout, me wheeling mine while I shouted after them.

“Be careful! Slow down!”

Even the woman ringing up our purchase seemed mad. I told her that the Assembler had told us my youngest son’s bike was $50, not $80. Even after her manager gave her the go ahead to charge us $49.95, she scoffed at us, annoyed, I guess, that I was getting a better bargain on my smallest bike purchase.

The next day we strapped our bikes on to the van, and headed to a nearby bike path with my sister, Aunt Awesomeness. After a small mishap of using the bike rack incorrectly (Note: don’t strap it to the window!) we were on our way. Aunt Awesomeness kept up with the big kids while I followed E. He was a trooper for 5 whole miles on his training wheels, and this is the true slice I want to remember: My bike ride with E.

I tried not to bump into him when he slowed down, and I tried to limit my yelling of “Be careful!” as much as possible. I tried to teach him how to use his brakes on the downhills, and how to keep pedaling on the uphills. I tried not to scream as he gained speed going down the steep parts, and not to cry when he fell. I told him it was okay to fall, and that he needed to get back on. (I only took a picture of the fall after he was okay. I promise.)

I breathed it in: the beautiful day and his little voice calling to me from his bike:

“This uses energy!”

“Is this exercise?”

“This isn’t motorized so it didn’t use gas.”

“Doesn’t this feel like we are going across the country? And I’m not even thirsty yet!”

….(5 minutes later…) “I need a break. I’m thirsty.”

“Did you see me going down that hill? It’s as fun as LEGOS! Even funner.”

A Slice of Comment Codes

June 9, 2015Slice of LifeSlice of Lifeonathought

Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers. Head over there for information and links to more Slicing!

Dear Students,

When you see your report card and it says Comment 07: “Behaves appropriately,” will you know that what I meant is that I see how hard it is for you each day? Will you know I appreciate how you listened to my reminders, even though you wanted to roll your eyes?

When you see Comment C13: “Works well independently,” will you know that I respect your quiet way? That I wish I had sat down next to you more often?

How about Comment C05: “Positively contributes to classroom environment?” Please know that I appreciated your smile, and your kind words, and your positive leadership. Keep choosing happy as much as you can!

Comment C17: “Often requires prompting to focus and stay on task.” I don’t want to put this comment on your final report card. You and I both know that focus isn’t your strength yet. You have taken my prompting, and you have moved on. Sometimes you were annoyed at my prompting, and sometimes you took it in stride. School is hard work, thank you for bringing your best.

Comment C20: “Needs to make better use of work time.” Me too. Comment C28: “Needs to improve organization.” Don’t we all?

Your 6th grade report card will all too soon be a thing of your past, just like your 6th grade year. I want to make new comment codes for you:

I heard you.

I saw you.

I learned something from you.

Thank you.

Slice Time

April 28, 2015poetry, Slice of Lifeonathought

Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers . Head over there for information and links to more Slicing! It’s also April… So poetry it is!





Time. 
I don't have time for slicing. 
I'm 
grant writing
fitbit challenging
muppet planning
email responding
lego cleaning
papers to grade ignoring
busy.

A Slice of Anger, in rhyme

April 14, 2015Reflections on teaching, Slice of Lifeonathought

Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers. Head over there for information and links to more Slicing! It’s also April… So poetry it is!

I’m angry.

I'm angry.
So I’m choosing rhyme 
and a little bit of meter
to tell you about some
of the testing today, dear reader. 

I’m angry. 
So, I need to write
and hope that somebody is starting a fight. . . 
That people will stand up for 
what 
is 
right.

I’m angry.
So, I don’t quite trust
myself to write
something real, but not mean
before I head to bed tonight.

I’m angry. 
This testing day wasn’t 
so hard 
for me
It was not
overly 
stressful
I handled it fine
My students didn’t cry
Nobody had a fit
They sat where I 
told them to sit

Kids sucked on mints
behind privacy screens
and the testing cop 
wasn’t too mean.
He pointed to a hood on someone’s head
and handed me a piece of paper.
Nothing was said.

We had it easy in my room. 
Maybe because 
most of the kids I proctor
had breakfast and lunch
and will have supper.
Most are white
and middle class.
Most of them read pretty well, pretty fast.

I taught them to breathe
whenever they felt stress.
I told them they are worth 
so much more
than this test.

I assured them that whatever happened
our school wouldn’t close down
that I’d still be around
that they would be fine
even if they messed up 
a few times. 

I decided some things
while everything was silent
while I walked and I walked (and I walked) 
the aisles of this new classroom climate

I decided you should 
opt 
your 
kids 
out.
I decided it’s something we all need to shout.
I decided I’m angry 
at all the rules
and all this wasted time in our schools. 

I decided It’s about civil rights
and so much more.
It’s about standing up for others --
even if your own kids are fine 
not stressed
have a high score.

It’s about taking back assessment
so that it can mean something real.
It’s about caring more about 
how the actual children feel.

A slice of Easter

April 7, 2015Slice of Lifeonathought

Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers. Head over there for information and links to more Slicing!

Easter Day
It's finally spring after winter
You want it to be perfect
Sun shines
But wind blows cold bursts of air
Your hair is in your face
And you ate too much candy

#sol15 March 31 Onward! Type! Delete! Type! Post!

March 31, 2015Slice of Lifeonathought

This is my last slice in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March. You should do it next year! Thank you, Two Writing Teachers! Readers, check out their site, and start slicing!

I type 
and I type
I select all 
delete

I try again
and delete and delete and delete

I have slices to write
even just from today
but nothing is working
so I delete and delete

I want to write about
surprise coffee from Mardi 
surprise support from Kris
the power of listening
and checking in with my class

There are ideas in my head about 
articulation and wading through words
and how writing is thinking 
and power 
a window, a door

I'd love to tell you about how 
bad I am at following through
how consistency is not my strength 
A month of slicing feels like 
success
pride
But then I'd have to admit that 
It's been a week since I really exercised
I. Need. To. Go. On. A. Run.  
(But, it's dark and I'm tired)

It's the last day of March slicing!
I'm proud 
And my mind is 
still
cluttered
with 
slices

So onward!
I'll keep slicing
and typing 
and deleting
and typing
and deleting
and typing 
and 
posting

#sol15 March 30 Complaints

March 30, 2015Family, Reflections on teaching, Slice of Lifeonathought

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March. You should do it too! Thank you, Two Writing Teachers! Readers, check out their site, and start slicing!

Feeling Complain-y today… And since I’m dreaming of ordering this T-Shirt…. I figured I may as well write some poetry. 🙂

My skin, dry 
my house, a mess
my email?
A load of stress

My work, piled
high at school
While I'm at home,
a sleepy fool

My grades, due
My daughter has a cold
Laundry, clean but
I still have to fold

My nose, stuffy
I need to file a nail
Students owe me work
Please don't let them fail

My computer, wonky
It has a mind of its own
Making it hard for me
to do work, not groan

April, I need some time 
A meditation, a rest
But what will I get?
A standardized test

#sol15 March 28 Home

March 28, 2015Family, Slice of Lifeonathought

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March. You should do it too! Thank you, Two Writing Teachers! Readers, check out their site, and start slicing!

#sol15 March 27 Thanks for the Feedback!

March 27, 2015Reflections on teaching, Slice of Life, Uncategorizedonathought

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March. You should do it too! Thank you, Two Writing Teachers! Readers, check out their site, and start slicing!

“Thanks for the feedback!” Bo told us, as he handed us his card and we walked out of the restaurant.

After our dinner, we had politely told Bo that we wanted to give him some feedback. We included how kind and helpful he and the rest of the staff were, and also the fact that the soup hadn’t been hot.

(DISCLAIMER: Food was excellent, service was great… soup was apparently just a bit cool. My table of friends would recommend this place in a heartbeat. In fact, if you are in Virginia for the UVABPI, go tomorrow! 🙂

“We aren’t complaining. Just giving you some feedback that you can hopefully use,” one of us said.

He listened and apologized, and we all talked with him about how it was a timing issue. The restaurant opened under this management 3 weeks ago, and they are still getting their whole game together.

Our table of teachers explained to Bo that we had just spent the day learning about assessment. “We are sitting beside you,” we told him even though he probably thought that was a weird thing to say, considering we were seated at our table, and he was standing next to it. “We want you to use this feedback as learning. We can’t wait to come back and eat here again.”

Bo thanked us for our feedback and planned on using it to better his timing. Do your kids thank you for your feedback?

Assessment. Today was about assessment. I love that the latin root of the word assessment means “to sit beside.” This isn’t what many people think of when they think of assessment, even formative assessment. Carol Ann Tomlinson says that “on-going assessment for planning and feedback, not for judgment and grades…helps us teach better, and helps students learn better.” This idea that assessment informs our teaching is one that we should know as teachers, but we often forget. I think I can get caught up in all that assessment can mean, and lose sight of how often I am informally doing formative assessment, and giving feedback. Today helped me solidify some ways to do my formative assessments.

If you are like me, and need a reminder of which kind of assessment is which, this gem from today may help:

Now at the restaurant tonight, we had already tasted the soup, but others were going to taste it too. So, I think our feedback can still be considered formative. We didn’t judge (or complain) and we gave our assessment as learning (and we hoped they would work to better their timing). It looks like assessment is everywhere, right where it should be.

And that folks, is just another slice of Virginia!

#sol15 March 26 A Slice of Virginia

March 26, 2015Reflections on teaching, Slice of Life, Uncategorizedonathought

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March. You should do it too! Thank you, Two Writing Teachers! Readers, check out their site, and start slicing!

Imagine my delight, when nearing my hotel, I saw this sign:

That’s the HOME. OF. THE. VIRGINIA. **SLICE**.

So what are my Virginia Slices so far?

Carol Ann Tomlinson uses a great analogy to curriculum. “Standards are not a curriculum. A textbook is not a curriculum. A pacing guide is not a curriculum. These things are ingredients for creating a curriculum.” If you take a grocery bag with meat and tomatoes and onions and spices, you can use those ingredients to make a base for a lot of different meals. Just like you can use the elements of curriculum to make many different engaging curriculums.

This is a perfect, smart analogy, of course. But again with all the meat! Where are the Virginia Vegetarians? So far in Virginia, I’ve seen signs of spring, and meat.