Reading Teacher Writes

Sharing a love of literacy with fellow readers and writers

Tag Archives: Slice of Life Story Challenge


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Slice of Life Story Challenge: March 1

It’s time for Two Writing Teachers’ March Slice of Life Story Challenge, and I’m trying it again after being gone for (has it really been) three years! Wow, time flies!

It’s a typical Tuesday here: I ran to the grocery store on the way home to buy some Fat Tuesday treats. Wait! Stores – three grocery stores – the third store had a few boxes of savory sweets called Pączkis (a Polish filled donut). Yes! I’m on the way home to relax and enjoy dinner and fattening food.

Look at all that sugar!

Wait! As I walk through the back door, I hear Ashley yelling from the basement. Bloody nose! Come and see! (Uh, no thanks.) But, of course, I’m the mom so I run downstairs to see what’s up. Fifteen minutes later, the bleeding stopped and we got back to normal. I’m really not hungry now, but I cannot leave those Fat Tuesday treats now that I went to three stores to find them!

Yeah, typical Tuesday. Happy March, everyone! Thanks for letting me back in, friends! I’m excited to write in this space again.


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Slice of Life Story Challenge Day 10: I Just Want to Read!

Slice of Life Small LogoI Just Want to Read!

I have a student who grumbles every time we do a new reading project. I asked why the grumbles, and he said, “I just want to read.”

I totally agree! While teaching students to love reading, we teachers are also finding ways to assess/grade/report standards of learning so that our reading classes are successful in an administrator’s eye. Various methods are acceptable. Reading logs, comprehension checks, menus, games, and even tests are used in classrooms across the country to “prove” that students achieve the goals set forth by the school. Many archaic lesson plans are out-of-date now, or no longer acceptable as best practice ways to teach reading. What is a student to do? What are teachers to do? Conversations are ongoing…and fascinating!

Sometimes, though, as a reader, I just want to read.


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Slice of Life Story Challenge Day 9: Try It Again

Slice of Life Small LogoNow that I’m back in the school building, I have some expectations of what I want to see before the end of the third quarter. My absences have affected my class productivity. I am not pleased!

However, many of my students are writing Slice of Life stories for the March challenge, which is making life interesting. I cannot wait until the end of the month when we revise, edit, and publish. The March Book Madness “Sweet 16” bracket came out on www.marchbookmadness.weebly.com, so that’s fun to follow. I think an interesting match-up in the Reality bracket will be A Strange Case of Origami Yoda vs. A Night Divided. They are very different books, so I’d like to see which one is the “winner” there. Below are the match-ups:

Fantasy Bracket: Rump vs. Fablehaven, Snicker of Magic vs. Iron Trials, Crenshaw vs. Flora & Ulysses, and Magnus Chase vs. Artemis Fowl

Reality Bracket: Out of My Mind vs. The Honest Truth, A Strange Case of Origami Yoda vs. A Night Divided, Because of Mr. Terupt vs. Bud, Not Buddy, and Fish in a Tree vs. Sunny Side Up.

Now it’s time to buckle down and work. I want published works, reading, and projects that are 6th-going-to-7th-grade-ready! I want students to shine.

March Book Madness bracket information for middle school voting can be found at http://www.marchbookmadness.weebly.com. The Slice of Life Story Challenge is hosted by the wonderful ladies at www.twowritingteachers.wordpress.com. Thank you!


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SOLSC Day 31: It’s Over?

Slice of Life Small LogoTHANK YOU to the ladies at Two Writing Teachers (www.twowritingteachers.wordpress.com) for hosting the AWESOME March Slice of Life Story Challenge! It’s over already?

It’s Over?

March has 31 days, but it sure seemed like this March has come and gone in the blink of an eye! I find myself thinking, “It’s over?” Missing 3 out of the 31 days makes me feel a little disappointed in myself, but I did my best. More importantly, I’ve met some new bloggers, kept in touch with some pals from the past, read some awesome slices, written a few decent posts, and had a great time! Thanks again to our wonderful hosts at Two Writing Teachers!

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” 

Dr. Seuss

We are on our own now, and we’ve learned a lot. I hope you will keep in touch on your blogs! Maybe we can even steer in the direction to meet soon. I decided to go to ILA, Writing in Warsaw, and Boothbay, Maine! (I am dreaming. Maybe dreams DO come true.) Keep dreaming, hoping, and…writing! I’ll be there to read your stuff.