Author Archive
WN Collecting Idea
Writer Jordana Horn went into her son’s class, filled with seven and eight year-old kids, earlier this month to lead a session on journaling. She asked the students to write what they don’t… Read More
Inspiring Independent Writing Project Mentor Text (Part 2 of 5)
The Day My Mom Came to Kindergarten can be used to help kids find a topic and to teach students a variety of craft moves. Read more about this book and then leave a comment if you’d like a chance to win a copy.
Preparing a Keynote
The keynote speeches I’m preparing to deliver this summer have been on my mind for weeks. In an effort to craft inspiring speeches, I’ve been looking for some guidance so I move from outlining to writing the speeches.
SOLSC
Leave a link to your slice of life stories here.
Inspiring Independent Writing Project Mentor Text (Part 1 of 5)
Amy Krouse Rosenthal provides insight into her new word play book. Chronicle Books offers a giveaway of the book to one reader who comments on this post.
Classroom Routines Made Simpler with QR Codes
Find out how to bring two classroom routines into the 21st century with QR Codes.
We Write the Slices.
On the final day of the March SOLSC, Amy Rudd crafted a parody of Barry Manilow’s “I Write the Songs.” (Click here if you are unfamiliar with the song.) She changed it to “I… Read More
Are you ready to unplug?
How do we teach kids (and ourselves) to unplug from media in an effort to interact with others, not just screens?
Conferences are dialogues.
[Conferences] are not mini-lectures but the working talk of fellow writers sharing their experience with the writing process. At times, of course, they will be teacher and student, master and apprentice, if you… Read More
How does writing feel to you?
On the final day of the challenge, Rissa Zimmerman, who was a first-time Slicer this past March, crafted a thank you note to me and Ruth for providing her with a forum to… Read More
Turn off screens and LIVE life.
Screen-Free Week goes from 4/29-5/5. While it might seem drastic and unfeasible to completely unplug, think about what steps you can take to be less connected next week.
New Units of Study
I purchased the original Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3 – 5 when they were published in 2006. In the early days, those books were like a Bible to me. I… Read More
Running Towards Danger
After writing “My Advice to New Moms in the Wake of the Terror in Boston,” I didn’t think I had much else to say about yesterday’s terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon’s Finish… Read More
Slicers at Work
We are all writers at work, aren’t we? When I saw LeAnn Carptenter’s poem, “Writers at Work,” midway through the March Challenge, it resonated with me. Click here to read the back… Read More
Slicers: Why do you write?
Mid-way through the March Challenge I came across a poem Betsy wrote on Teaching Young Writers. It is entitled “Why I Write.” There are so many reasons each of us choose to write… Read More
The Handwriting Part of Writing
If you’re in an elementary school, you’ve inevitably had discussion with parents about handwriting. My policy for writer’s notebooks was always, “As long as I can read it, it’s neat enough.” I didn’t… Read More
SOLSC Prize Announcement
It’s my pleasure to announce the winners of the prizes from the Sixth Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. Yet again, I ran into a good problem this year. More people sliced and… Read More
Welcome Back. #slice2013
Welcome back to the weekly challenge. After a day off, how great it is to be back as a writing community? Last month, Cathy Mere wrote a poem entitled “The Writer” that resonated… Read More
