The Slice of Life Challenge is coming to a blog near you! In March, we’ll host the 5th Annual Slice of Life Challenge.
The Challenge: In the month of March share a slice of your life. Every. Single. Day.
Have you been thinking about joining us? (You should!) But don’t take my word for it! Check out the comments (ah-hem…Slicers help me out here!) for the reasons why people are glad they joined.
Still having concerns? Leave your thoughts in the comments so we can support and encourage you.
The thing I like the very best about SOLSC is the community of writers that develops. Trust me. You won’t find a more supportive group of writers. Instantly, you will feel kinship and be empowered to keep writing.
I’m looking forward to the comments filling up with encouragement, support, and questions about Slice of Life Story Challenge. If you’ve sliced before, feel free to jot a comment. (Thanks!)
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 
I was turned onto this blog by a fellow colleague who suggested it after we had completed the Summer Institute as a part of the National Writing Project. We also completed coursework to get our Critical Literacy Licence (I think that’s what it was called) and as a result both of us started blogging after a digital writing class. I was blogging but not as much as I wanted to. I did the SOLC last year and it kept me writing. Even about small things. Then I found out about the Tuesday SOLC and that’s motivation for me to write. See it had been 2 weeks, just now, and I was motivated to write something for tomorrow so I could share my writing. I love having a place where other writers visit because it gives me an audience. Love this!
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Just do it! I have so enjoyed the March challenge for the last few years. It has really helped me develop good writing habits.
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I have participated in the challenge for the past two years. In between I have posted from time to time, but lately I’ve fallen off completely. Participating in the challenge each year helps me spread my wings and get back into writing. It makes me a more “aware” person and a better writing teacher too. The community here is amazing! They support and encourage each other along the way. Do it!
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I recently printed and read all of my blogs. I was amazed to see how much I had grown as a writer since I accepted the challenge two years ago. I know that this is due to the safety I feel to express myself in writing and know that everyone is supportive.
It is like having an extended family cheering and encouraging you from different parts of the globe.
I encourage you to take that leap and dive (write)right in!!
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I’m really excited to be part of the slice of life challenge for the second time this year! I know it’s going to be challenging, but it’s going to push me to write and work out those writing muscles. 😉
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I’ve been awful about slicing this year. I think the yearly challenge is just what I need to get back in the game! It’s tough but rewarding.
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I listen to NPR so I feel compelled to start this post out with the disclaimer: “Long-time reader, first-time commenter…”.
I started slicing with my tenth grade Honors Language Arts class last year during the March SOLChallenge, and we continued slicing together for the remainder of the school year on Fridays. Here are reflections from high school sophomores on participating in the 2011 Slice of Life Challenge:
http://mylanguageartsclass.weebly.com/1/post/2011/04/slice-of-life-challenge-final-reflection.html
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I am looking forward to participating in a writing community. I feel like I write, never enough, but wonder who I am writing for. This will be a great opportunity to write for an audience.
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The SOLC has been the best activity for me as a teach of writing. I have learned so much about the expectations I have for my students. As stated, the community of slicers encourages me and it will be fore you. When I would get writer’s block, reading other slices triggered ideas. I look forward to encouraging others with comments as well. Join. It will strengthen you as a person.
http://booksavors.wordpress.com/2012/04/01
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I have sought out other challenges in an attempt to discover other blogsphere communities, but no community of writers, thinkers, teachers, humans is nearly as special to me as the slicers. The power of finding a group of like-minded, inspiring people is immeasurable. This community has had such an impact on who I am as a teacher, a writer, and a human–I can’t imagine it not doing the same for you! Please join us!
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I began “slicing” just as I began blogging, which I got into in the first place through my discovery of “Two Writing Teachers.” At first, I was rather wary – what to write about every Tuesday? Would anyone even care to read my ramblings? Once I began, however, there was no turning back – I discovered a community of teachers and writers rich in varied experiences and points of view. I loved the process of going public with my writing, and hearing what people responded to. The scribblings of my writer’s notebook became sharper and more focused, and I was able to practice what I preached in my classroom of sixth grade writers. Now we slice in our classroom, too – and what a fantastic thing this has grown to be!
I cannot imagine a Tuesday without slicing and enjoying this writing community. The March Challenge is a wonderful way to become part of the community – we encourage each other, we celebrate our daily lives, and we learn to be better writers. So…join in the fun! You’ll be so glad that you did!
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I can’t wait for March – this will be my third year participating. I heard about SOLS a lot before I actually participated. At times I felt too busy to do a weekly slice, but then I decided to start out with the month long challenge and go for it. Little did I know, I would look forward to making time for it every day. Sometimes I had a lot of extra time and it was easy. Other times I was squeezing it in. I discovered that time spent on SOLS is always time well spend. As others have mentioned, the community aspect is so inspiring and beneficial.
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Each year, I think: I won’t do it. Then, I do.
There’s something powerful that we find in the small moments of our lives, and something powerful that writing about those moments can bring to the surface.
Add to that the connections with other writers … and Slice of Life is like a little ball of warm sunlight in dreary February.
Kevin
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I’ve been anticipating the March challenge for a few months now – mostly because my body hurt so much by the end of the month last year – too much sitting – and I don’t want that to happen this year so I’m trying to plan ahead a bit.
I learned so much about myself as a writer and became more deeply connected to this community and others I teach with – because I talked so much about it!
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Okay, you’ve all made me so nostalgic. Last March was my first month blogging, like others. I jumped in, terrified, and at the end wrote this: http://www.teacherdance.blogspot.com/2011/03/one-way-to-say-goodbye.html. I just re-read it & remembered how elated & then grateful I was for the month that I had given myself, and then with all the other slicers’ help. I had a wonderful time beginning, & haven’t looked back. It is a very special group that Ruth & Stacey have gathered, & I talk about so many of you with my own colleagues. Cannot wait for March!
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Where to begin. This March will be one year of blogging for me. The March Slice of Life challenge opened my eyes to what a true writer is. I searched for things to write about. Some days were funny stories while others were about small noticings. Writing daily opened my eyes to the little things that I tend to fly past on a normal day. The people in this group are amazing and the comments push you to write more. I kept my phone close for the first week…eagerly waking up to read what someone wrote. It’s something that I am looking forward to doing again this year. I’ll even have my third graders write along with me this year. Such a growing and enriching experience. Give it a go…you won’t regret it!
http://primarywordbyword.blogspot.com/2011/04/reflecting.html
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Don’t be afraid. No one bites. This is the safest place to put your written thoughts. It becomes addictive and affirming. One final reason is it is FUN! This is coming from one who never thought she was much of a writer. Join us!
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I am counting down the days until the challenge. It will celebrate my first year of blogging. I have connected with the most wonderful reader/writer/teachers in the universe. I feel validated every time I write. This is a great community! Join Us!!!
I liked Michelle’s idea of sharing my reflection slice from the end of the challenge last year. Here it is:
http://deb-day.blogspot.com/2011/04/blogging-is-contagious.html
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I have been slicing for 5 years and it gets better and better! A community for 30 days in a row. You get to build your writing muscle and then share your slices with lots of other slicers WHO WILL READ YOU WRITING and Leave something behind. And you get to read lots of wonderful teacher blogs and leave something behind.
And after March… there’s a weekly Tuesday slice to keep you connected to this community.
It’s a win-win don’t you think?
Bonnie
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There are so many unbelievable reasons to join in the writing fun! I thought I’d really struggle with ideas to write about each and every day, but the challenge opened my eyes, ears, and heart to all the stories in my life that were waiting to be shared with an AWESOME community of writers. I also loved gleaning insights and writing ideas from everyone else too! I’ve even collected a list of mentor text of favorite slices from last year!
Once April came, there was a huge let down. But I’m looking forward to joining in another year!
Need more reasons? Check out my “Ode to Celebrating” slice!
http://literacyzone.blogspot.com/2011/04/solsc-ode-to-celebrating.html
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