In keeping with our winter theme from yesterday, I thought I’d share a slicing inspiration which my students have always loved.
Author: Tara Smith
I teach Writing Workshop, Language Arts and Social Studies to sixth graders at a middle school in suburban New Jersey. This blog is my attempt to capture all the "stuff" that goes into my teaching life - the planning, the dreaming, the reading, the preparing, the hoping and (above all) the kids.
Please note that the content of this blog is my own. It does not reflect the opinions of my employer.
Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge: Day 11 of 31
CLASSROOM SLICE OF LIFE STORY CHALLENGE: DAY 11 OF 31 Welcome to Day 11! Where I live (northern New Jersey), it has snowed and snowed and snowed this winter. Not everyone has enjoyed shoveling all the snow that has come our way, but my students have found that writing a slice of life about fun… Continue reading Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge: Day 11 of 31
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Gearing up for the PARCC Test: Some practice work
On Tuesday, my sixth graders will file into the large testing room our middle school has set up, and begin three days of ELA testing for the PARCC. The last few weeks have included a steady diet of preparation for this endeavor - the unglamorous, but necessary work of making sure my kids understand the… Continue reading Gearing up for the PARCC Test: Some practice work
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INTRODUCING THE SUPPORT TEAM FOR THE MARCH SOLSC!
The Eighth Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge is almost here! Stacey, Anna, Beth, Dana, Betsy and I are all sharing hosting duties this year, and are so looking forward to all the March Writing Madness that so happily takes place here at two Writing Teachers. Back in January we asked for assistants to come… Continue reading INTRODUCING THE SUPPORT TEAM FOR THE MARCH SOLSC!
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Charts and mini charts to anchor writing moves
Last Tuesday, Clare wrote a wonderful slice of life post about what everyday learning in a classroom really looks like and feels like, aptly entitled: Learning is Managed Chaos. These lines resonated with me: "We need to remember, however, that young learners can only appear independent in an environment that is carefully and thoughtfully managed… Continue reading Charts and mini charts to anchor writing moves
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Join our March SOLSC Welcome Wagon!
The Eighth Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge is just about three weeks away. This will be my fourth Challenge, and although I feel as though I am a somewhat seasoned slicer, I have to admit that writing a SOL everyday still makes me just a bit anxious. When I took part in my first… Continue reading Join our March SOLSC Welcome Wagon!
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Aim Higher: Some Tools For Mid Year Assessments
At the end of this week, the second marking period will officially come to an end for many of us, and so will the first half of our school year. This is the perfect time to pause, take a look back at the work that our students have accomplished from September to now, and look… Continue reading Aim Higher: Some Tools For Mid Year Assessments
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Start thinking about the March Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge!
I know that it’s January, but this really is the perfect time to...start thinking about the March Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge. Here are some factors to consider: In the midst of everything else that you are juggling in writing workshop, is it really worth it to invest time and… Continue reading Start thinking about the March Classroom Slice of Life Story Challenge!
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Setting the stage for writing about nonfiction
Writing about nonfiction elicits the same initial lack of enthusiasm from my students as reading about nonfiction - a nonfiction affliction that seems, at first, impossible to overcome. It’s the “dead Presidents and whales” syndrome that Donalyn Miller examines in Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits, in the… Continue reading Setting the stage for writing about nonfiction
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TARA’S ONE LITTLE WORD OF 2015
When I was twelve, my father came home from a long business trip abroad with a magical gift just for me: a Polaroid camera with half a dozen boxes of film. This was, even among my classmates in our ritzy Bombay school, an item to be marveled at and coveted. One glorious afternoon, I gathered… Continue reading TARA’S ONE LITTLE WORD OF 2015
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WRITE, SHARE, GIVE: IT’S SOL TIME!
WRITE a slice of life story on your own blog. SHARE a link to your post in the comments section. GIVE comments to at least three other SOLS bloggers. Here it is, the last Slice of Life of the year. Happy New Year to all of you - and here's to another year of sharing our… Continue reading WRITE, SHARE, GIVE: IT’S SOL TIME!
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WRITE, SHARE, GIVE: IT’S SOL TIME!
WRITE a slice of life story on your own blog. SHARE a link to your post in the comments section. GIVE comments to at least three other SOLS bloggers. We are so glad that you can join our writing community to share a slice of your life... ...even though the holiday season makes our lives… Continue reading WRITE, SHARE, GIVE: IT’S SOL TIME!
