Our stories bond us together. I have known this to be true ever since I started writing, but I saw real evidence of it today as I walked down the halls of our school building.
This year, we challenged all the students in our K-8 school to participate in a year-long Slice of Life Story Challenge. All the students are writing daily Slice of Life Stories. They write for a short period of time each day, and they share their writing with their classmates. Once a week, they also choose one Slice of Life Story to display in the hallway for other students, teachers, and parents to comment on.
Today, as I stopped to read the comments written on Post-it Notes throughout the halls of our building, I couldn’t help but notice the authentic and honest way kids are responding to each other as writers. It seems the whole school is coming together as a community of writers.
I noticed that students are connecting to each other through their topics. They are finding a common ground through their words. They are getting to know each other as people.
They are also getting to know each other as writers, finding patterns in topic choice and coming to know each other’s writing preferences.
I noticed that they are showing interest in each other’s stories, asking questions, and wanting to know more. Post-It Note after Post-It Note contained questions of genuine curiosity.
I noticed that they are showing empathy and kindness towards each other, letting each other’s stories touch their hearts.
I noticed that students are commenting on writing techniques, such as word choice and endings. They are recognizing and praising each other’s craft moves. They are reading like writers.
I was touched today by what I noticed in our hallways. Our students are getting to know each other, encouraging each other, showing empathy towards each other, touching each other’s hearts, and growing as writers together. We are a community of writers. All because we shared our stories.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 
Love this! So inspiring – you are growing a community of writers who care about each others’ writing. Bravo!
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This is unbelievable! I wonder what would happen if this would spread from school to school?
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Profound outcome and simple process! Loved reading your student examples and I look forward to seeing you next week! Question…how to we use this energy towards other types of writing? The opportunities are endless!
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I hope you continue to let us know how this is going, Dana. It’s awesome to see an entire school sharing and responding to each other. Don’t you know they will value those sticky notes very, very much!
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Writing good comments is something we have been working on this week. I think I will show them your students’ examples. I am trying to build this community in my classroom and you have built it in your entire school…incredible!
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I love seeing the kids comments to each other. They are such a supportive audience to one another.
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It is a great display of community. To see it firsthand is to experience a slice of that community. It is in a word: awesome.
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Thanks for sharing the story of your school sharing! I love how the positive comments are building community!
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First the teachers in your district started slicing now the kids are doing it too! A dynamic community of writers thrives within the walls of your school. Thanks for sharing the way that writing has connected your students to each other with us, Dana.
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This is incredible. What a powerful community of writers!
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What a great way to share. Your students are developing not only their writing skills, but their ability to learn about others and to have empathy for them.
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Wow! Your kids are learning so much more than writing. My new favorite quote, “Maybe stories are just data with a soul.” from Brene Brown.
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I think you have brilliantly discovered the key to making a school a community. This is awesome!
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