Slice of Life Buttons

by Ruth Ayres

Here are some buttons you can use if you want to proudly display your participation in the Slice of Life Challenge.    Also, feel free to use these with your students too. My… Read More →

Let’s Celebrate!

by Ruth Ayres

Today was the end of the trimester at my school.  This also means it is the end of the course I’ve been teaching for the past twelve weeks.  Naturally, we held a writing… Read More →

Slice of Life Story Challenge Giveaways

by Stacey Shubitz

Here’s a peek at what we’re giving away for participants of the March Challenge. (NOTE: If we have more daily participants than prizes, then we’ll go into drawing-mode.) NOTE: Each picture is hyperlinked… Read More →

SOLSC Inspiration

by Stacey Shubitz

Looking for ways to get your class inspired about the upcoming Slice of Life Story Challenge?  Here are a few ideas: 1.  Send a letter home like I posted on Sunday.  Be sure… Read More →

Looking for Feedback

by Stacey Shubitz

Qualities of Good Writing Doodles0002 Originally uploaded by teachergal As a teacher of writing, what do these doodles say to you about the qualities of good writing? Please leave a comment and LMK… Read More →

And the Winner Is . . .

by Ruth Ayres

No video drawing this week, I had to use more archaic measures.  It went like this: Checked the number of comments and subtract one (since Stacey isn’t eligible to win our own giveaway!)… Read More →

Reading Response Letters.

by Ruth Ayres

Today my students took a summative assessment over the novelsthey read for their literature circles.  There were four parts to include in the letter, which aligned with the kinds of notes they took in… Read More →

Reflections

by Stacey Shubitz

This week my students are reflecting on the drafting process (of their memoirs) more than they’re sharing at the end of Workshop time.  I wanted to have-a-go with them reflecting, in lieu of… Read More →

Noticing Exclamation Points and Periods in a Published Text

by Stacey Shubitz

I’ve been preparing for a p.d. session on conventions that I’m leading with one of my colleagues next Friday.  Hence, I’m trying to look at picture books with an eye for grammar and… Read More →

Ruth’s Slice of Life: A Nearly Perfect Moment

by Ruth Ayres

Sun streaming in Watching my students Pencils moving Thoughts swarming Ideas evolving Lives changing

Quote.

by Ruth Ayres

Ali Edwards has had this up on her site for a few days now.  It’s speaking to me. Souza : For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to… Read More →

Link Your Slice of Life Story Here!

by Stacey Shubitz

The month-long Slice of Life Story Challenge is a few days away.  If you’re looking to get ready to launch a month-long Slice of Life Story Challenge in your classroom, then please click… Read More →

Ruth’s Memoir-ish Monday: Give Choice a Chance

by Ruth Ayres

So we’ve been studying persuasion in my ninth grade English class.  Since my students were required to write a persuasive piece, I placed the same expectation on myself.  I’m “getting away” using this… Read More →

Memoir Monday

by Ruth Ayres

Happy Monday!  Please link your marvelous Monday Memoirs in the comments section of this post!  (By the way, this will be the last Memoir Monday post until April 6, due to the month-long… Read More →

Gearing Up for the Classroom Part of the Slice of Life Story Challenge

by Stacey Shubitz

Are you planning to host a Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC) in your classroom during the month of March?  If so, here are some basic tools to launch it this-coming Sunday, 3/1/09.… Read More →

messy assessment :)

by Ruth Ayres

Terri left the following comment on a recent post, “Tracks of Teaching.” I was just thinking of this very thing this morning.  How do you assess kids on what you have taught if… Read More →

A Thought + A Poem

by Ruth Ayres

Around Indiana, Kindergarten Round Up is in full swing.  This personally effects me since my red-headed flair of a five year old will be entering kindergarten next year.  She is so excited.  She’s… Read More →

tracks of teaching.

by Ruth Ayres

I’ve always been a big believer that the “tracks of teaching” should be evident when walking into a classroom.  By this, I mean that if I simply scan the walls of a classroom,… Read More →

Well-Defined

by Stacey Shubitz

Salinger’s book Well Defined: Vocabulary in Rhyme provides me with a way to teach my students vocabulary and poetry simultaneously.  I’m passionate about both, which is why I was so excited to get… Read More →

Punctuation Is NOT An Editing Tool: It’s a Crafting Tool!

by Stacey Shubitz

I started reading Dan Feigelson’s Book Practical Punctuation: Lessons on Rule Making and Rule Breaking in Elementary Writing yesterday.  It’s the first time I’ve sat down and read a book on grammar and… Read More →