Just before we left for our Thanksgiving break, a fellow teacher I’d been trying to persuade to join our Slice of Life community emailed me to say that she’d finally got her blog up and was really excited about writing a slice of life every Tuesday. It was going to be her New Year’s resolution. And then, even as I was busy typing up a response, she emailed me again: could I please explain exactly what a slice of life was? She was confused.
So, for my friend, and for all of those who are contemplating starting the New Year slicing with our Tuesday writing community, here are a few pointers:
What it is:
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a narrative about a small segment of one’s day
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a short well written narrative that captures a small moment in time
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it could be based on something that happened to you, or something you observed
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it can be based around a series of thematically connected photographs that tell a story (check out Elsie’s post – she is a master at this!)
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or it can be a poem that tells a story (Betsy and Kim often gift us with these on Tuesdays )
What it is not:
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a book review (Check out Jen Vincent’s Teach Mentor Texts on Monday – this is a fabulous place to read and share book reviews)
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a poem you love, without the narrative to explain why (join the poetry folk every Poetry Friday for this round up – so much fun!)
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a list or advice or a lesson plan/ project idea
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a summation of a conference or workshop ( Stacey’s wonderful recap of NCTE is a great example of a non- Slice of Life post)
Writing my Tuesday Slice of Life has become the cornerstone of my writing life – it is sometimes (depending on how busy the week is) my only chance to practice doing what I ask my students to do. I can experiment, try new writing moves, and flex my writing muscles – and our writing community, always so generous in their responses, is quick to let me know which lines and scenes resonated, which structure and word choice was most effective.
So, join us! Be a part of our Tuesdays! Come live the writing life on Tuesdays, right here at Two Writing Teachers. Now, it is time to write your Slice, share your link, and give some comments to (at least three) other slicers. If you’re leaving your comment early in the day, please consider returning this evening or tomorrow to read some of our evening posters’ slices.
― Vladimir Nabokov
This sounds great. I think I will read some other slices before diving in.
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Please let us know if you have additional questions after you look through our info page, https://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/challenges/. Looking forward to having you join us.
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http://thisandthatbee.blogspot.ca/2013/12/sick.html
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And here is Ruth’s link, which she has kindly shared:
http://www.ruthayreswrites.com/2013/12/daughter-redefined.html
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A new Thanksgiving memory…
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Not afraid of a few drip!
http://imwritingtoo.blogspot.com/2013/12/how-to-stay-dry.html
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Tara,
That was one of the hardest things for me when I joined Slice of Life — understanding what it meant. What I’ve learned is that it is small, often quite ordinary, snippets from everyone’s lives often written humorously, eloquently, and/or interestingly. Most of all, I’ve realized that what often matters most are those small moments.
Of course, I’m also thankful for this community which is always so supportive (even when I’m struggling to stay consistent with posting). I learn so much as I travel from post to post.
Thanks for the explanation and the place to gather/share,
Cathy
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Hi Cathy,
The main things are: that you write, and that you share. So glad that you are part of our writing community! Here’s your link, though!:
http://merelydaybyday.blogspot.com/2013/12/queso-anyone.html
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Tara,
Thanks! Sorry, I commented once with my link (trying to make the deadline) and again with a comment to your smart post later.
Cathy
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Slicing is harder when trying to meet a theme for another daily challenge, and I don’t think I can blog twice every Tuesday – maybe over winter break! 🙂 So, this isn’t probably a true slice, but it’s my heart, and it’s today, and that’s about as good as it gets sometimes… right!? 🙂 http://jenbaum-laughoftenlovemuch.blogspot.com/2013/12/day-3-boots.html
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Just making it.
Queso Anyone?
http://merelydaybyday.blogspot.com/2013/12/queso-anyone.html
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My first Slice: Bah Humbug (my thoughts about school theme-dressing days): http://bookwhisperer.com/2013/12/03/bah-humbug-slice2013/
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One of those better late than never posts.
http://carolwscorner.blogspot.com/2013/12/slice-of-life_3.html
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Thinking about how the smallest change in the weather is an event in my place…and then thinking about change…
http://thinkingthroughmylens.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/a-change-in-the-weather/
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Mini narrative of the day.
http://wp.me/p3cml8-8x
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Have you ever noticed how some writing comes together so easily and other times each sentence feels like a root canal? I feel like I’ve had several root canals this evening!
http://readingtothecore.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/slice-of-life-connecting-with-obsalesence/
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Ohmigosh, I’ve always felt like I’ve shared a slice of my life but now I’m all freaked out about making sure I follow the rules of just HOW I share that slice of my life. I already wrote my post today so hopefully it’s counts and doesn’t break the rule. Thanks for the IMWAYR shout-out! 🙂
http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2013/12/the-one-with-revisions-and-headstands.html#axzz2mTKm8cDZ
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Jen…no freaking out is allowed on TWT. Thank you for joining us, this Slice of Life Tuesday!
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I appreciate the definition of the Tuesday Slice, by what it is and what it isn’t. My own blogging has wandered around and gone astray. I’d like to get back to the Tuesday habit and write more.
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5 days. 4 vomiting kids. A cautionary tale.
http://teachingtomorrowsleaders.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-cautionary-tale.html
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Thanksgiving
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Hmmm. Guess I didn’t really follow the rules today either. Although I usually try to….http://deb-day.blogspot.com/2013/12/for-girls.html
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Okay, so mine is advice about using technology for writing – but it’s based on observations I made while watching my son write.. http://www.mariaselke.com/2013/12/put-those-pencils-down.html
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A great lesson was learned by me today. Read about it in my blog: I Should Have Read Closer. http://www.raisingreadersandwriters.com/2013/12/slice-of-life-tuesday-i-should-have.html
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Aaah, I’ve missed too many weeks! I have so missed you all!
Tara, I’m excited to share your excellent definition of a slice with my students! Although I wrote a list today… glad I’m not the only one! Sometimes it’s all I can muster, or all I can wrap my head around… or an attempt to make up for weeks of missed slices! 😛
Borrowing an idea that Michelle had last year to think about gratitude in a new way:
http://ihabloespanglish.blogspot.com/2013/12/thinking-thankfully.html
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Not 100% sure I did it right, but here’s my Slice of Life, part of my #nerdlution. Thanks for the motivation!
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Here’s mine – lots of pondering today.
Off to read yours 🙂
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My toys come alive at midnight in December. So far they have fried eggs and emptied out my bookcase. Last night they toilet-papered my desk.
December is a special month. Maybe your students will like this idea. 🙂
http://ipaintiwrite.com/2013/12/03/my-toys-were-upset-with-me-last-night-they-toilet-papered-my-writing-desk/
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The Magic In Skype 😉
http://inspire-lynn.blogspot.com/2013/12/magic-skype.html
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What happens in your teacher’s room?
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Having a funk of a day. But, I get something new and exciting at the end of the day today! Yahoo 🙂 http://teachingyoungwriters.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-funk.html
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Here is my slice for the first week of December. Thank you for the opportunity to share:
http://mary-anderingcreatively.blogspot.com/2013/12/wherever-i-go-he-will-be-with-me.html
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A moment I had to capture today! I wrote another slice, but wanted to share this story about my 3 and a half year old girls — a story about clothes . . . already?!?
http://literacyzone.blogspot.com/2013/12/sols-clothing-concerns.html
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http://theamyrudder.blogspot.com/2013/12/date-day.html
We celebrated life yesterday! Tasty food, talk and togetherness!
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Two weeks in a row! I’m on a role!
Now to get better at comments.
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Ever wanted to see what you look like really angry? trust me – you don’t.
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It’s amazing how squishy fingers can help me feel better…
http://stephanieshouldis.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-moment-i-woke-up-sunday-morning-i.html
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Reflecting on my little reader in my first SOLS post. http://readingpastbedtime.blogspot.com/2013/12/slice-of-life-my-reader.html
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It’s funny how certain memories will just pop into your mind -seemingly out of nowhere.
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This week I thought I would write an infomercial for Bed Weights.
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Thinking about my one little word for 2014:
http://readwritethinkgrow.blogspot.com/2013/12/one-little-word-2014-slice-of.html
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Thanksgiving traditions of the past.
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Something went wrong with my link so here it is again… http://jarhartz.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/holes-hope-and-possibilites/ thanks Bonnie!!
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Is it December already?
http://nessasnoise.blogspot.com/2013/12/december-already.html
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On accepting life’s uncertainties and celebrating it’s constants http://reederama.blogspot.com/2013/12/slice-of-life-life-has-certain.html
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To share words or not? My perspective on the topic changed as I shifted my position in yoga.
http://justforamonth.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-different-perspective.html
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a tiny snippet of an experience
http://binthinkin.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/watching-through-fingers/
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getting ready
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A short Slice about waiting for the baby.
http://tinyreader.blogspot.com/2013/12/wait-and-see.html
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Thank you for the clarifications – not sure if all my slices have fit the definition (including this one), but it’s good to know what’s expected. Our Black Friday experience this year…. http://www.hollymueller.blogspot.com/2013/12/slice-of-life-black-friday.html
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The song in my head today is Slow down, you move too fast
http://chasing-stories.com/2013/12/03/a-slice-of-an-over-connected-life/
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I am slicing about my Nerdlution today. http://thelatebloomersbookblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/slice-of-life-post-nerdlution.html
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Yesterday was one of those days… http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com/2013/12/slice-of-life-breathe.html
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Looking for a new perspective. http://elle1955.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/play-boy/
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I don’t know if this follows the “slice rules”, but I am definitely an ordinary person and it is an insight into my day to come. Have a great week!
http://adayinthelifeof19b.blogspot.com/2013/12/slice-of-life-validated-nervousness.html
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I think I’ve got a touch of wanderlust, no cure in sight.
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We only have Sammie, Em and John for a few more weeks and they are back to Ecuador. This slice was written in the ‘flow’ of the moment…well written??? not exactly sure, it is definitely my best first draft…and Jen, I think most of us have made plenty of list poems along the way! xo
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My Slice today is about a new guest at our house
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Two weeks in a row! I’m on a roll. Huzzah, huzzah! http://sharpread.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/sparkly-gingerbread-houses-slice2013/
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Tara,
Thanks for the outline for Slice of Life. I wasn’t sure until this morning that I was doing it correctly. My slice is about a silly moment that made me smile this past week.
http://haddonmusings.com/2013/12/2/making-time-for-silliness.
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Tara, such a coincidence! Yesterday with my students, we discussed what a slice of life is and how to write one for our class blog. My ulterior motive was to get my rough draft for today’s post written, which I did. Thanks for the pointers. I will share with my students.
My slice is about how technology made me feel my family was all together this holiday. http://reflectionsontheteche.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/technology-rocks/
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I’ve been talking with my students about Slice of Life, and this will be perfect to share with them to help them get started. It took me using three different devices to write today’s slice, but I loved meeting an author at a book signing on Saturday:
http://kaymcgriff.edublogs.org/2013/12/03/an-author-and-me/
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Ideas for gifts during the holiday season…
http://tworeflectiveteachers.blogspot.com/2013/12/slice-of-life-spirit-of-giving.html
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A pre-Thanksgiving visitor gave me one more thing to be thankful for:
http://tmsteach.blogspot.com/2013/12/slice-of-life-tuesday.html
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November was the month for Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for. Here’s my list of thanks for the month.
http://myreadingblog-jac.blogspot.com/2013/12/tuesday-solsc-12313-my-30-days-of-thanks.html
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Creativity and Curiosity: Are you a thinker, browser or doer?
http://jaanaswritingblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/are-you-thinker-or-browser.html
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After reading the post above, I think I’ve been writing entire pies, or at least slice-and-a-halts (halves?) rather than slices. Must rethink this for the next post. Thank you for sharing this.
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Yesterday at my youngest son’s well-baby check up, the doctor paused a little too long, and I braced myself.
http://whateverings.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-pause-that-changes-it-all.html
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I love your definition of slices and how it captures a small moment in time. My slice today does just that. It’s an unexpected conversation with my daughter – http://enjoy-embracelearning.blogspot.com/2013/12/slice-of-life-caterpillars.html
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Love the definition and why you find it powerful to write SOL. We have to remember to try some “moves” we teach our students. We definitely use the topic generation strategies! This week Tammy is writing a slice about Thanksgiving and the difference between hard work and talent! http://assessmentinperspective.com/?p=672
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My Aunt and I are still “working” the Medicare system after a broken hip last spring. After 6 months, we finally “get” how that system works!
http://drferreri.blogspot.com/2013/12/now-that-i-am-doing-better-they-want-to.html
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Happy Holidays Slicers,
There’s Nothing like a new Challenge, or Two http://wp.me/p3Gehh-86
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Writing my personal commandments. What are yours? http://1gratefulteacher.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-commandments-getting-started-is-half.html
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This sounds like fun. I like your comment re ‘…I ask my students to do.’ I’ll work towards starting in January too.
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Some weeks I struggle, some weeks I’m successful – but I keep showing up and writing.
http://pleasuresfromthepage.blogspot.com/2013/12/whats-that-noise-inquired-cat.html
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Another experience I’d like to share from NCTE: http://www.teacherdance.org/2013/12/new-thinking-from-old-idea.html
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Thank you for the definition of SOL. And thanks for the other blogs on teaching text and poetry. This piece is about being in the middle with the young and older family members pulling at on my heart. http://jarhartz.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2914&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2
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I can’t seem to get to your blog. This is a link for you.
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Hey thanks. Don’t know what happened….try this: http://jarhartz.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/holes-hope-and-possibilites/
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Um, I feel like maybe I have been not following the guidelines, but maybe it’s just how I am interpreting your graphic organizer.
Sometimes a list is of seed ideas for future writing because that’s all I can do on a given Tuesday.
Sometimes I write about a book or a strategy–it’s like a review. However, it really is the story of how trying a new strategy from a book was empowering, freeing, amazing, etc.
Am I doing what is not?
Or am I reading too much into your graphic organizer and fact I am, what it is?
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You are here on Tuesday, part of our community, and that’s all that really matters, Maya.
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Up late with a sick kiddo (who has Croup). I’m on the verge of driving around the neighborhood with her with the car windows open. While I’m contemplating if that’ll suppress her cough, I figured I’d link my slide of life story. It’s actually a poem. I haven’t written any poetry for awhile, so I figured if try some today.
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This is a GREAT succinct definition, and I love the “is not” list, which actually made me feel very guilty of not being good at following directions! Oops! No more lists. Got it. I will try…. 🙂
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🙂 Glad that you are here on Tuesdays, Jen, writing and being part of our community.
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