Literacy Learning Zone

Slice of Life is  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ I debated writing today. I debated about what to write about today. I did my usual pre-procrastination social media scroll. Twitter. Instagram. Pinterest. Ahhhh ... I linger as I scroll and smile. "Yes. Oh, I like that one. Favorite that! Agreed.  I needed to hear that." And, so, to continue on with my procrastination, I needed to share my love ... And, thus, a tweet that led to writing this slice. This last year I needed some positive reinforcements and to re-c...

The March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join us for a month of writing! __________________________________________________ I've been dreading this birthday for over a year now. When I say forty, an {ugh} comes before it. Why does a number bother me so? It's just a number.  It does not tell a story, more specifically, my story.  It's merely a number holding my time here in this world. Yet, I let it bother me. I hide from any thoughts of it.  Honestly, I don't really want to talk about it. I tease my girls that I want them to stay five forever -- it's just such a perfect age to enjoy. "Mommy, we can't! We have to be six and then seven and then eight! We can't stop growing!" So I'm told by a five year old. My {ugh} forty comment came out recently with t...

The Slice of Life is hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ How is it that I am counting down the days in panic? There is still so much to do before that last day when we wave goodbye for summer.  Praying that I helped hook my readers into reading to continue throughout the long, hot days of "There's nothing to do ..." Yet, I was able to smile amid these last stressful days. You see, a fourth grade student that I work with during intervention time wanted to share a book. Jaden sat down and immediately opened his book. "What are you reading?" I inquired. ...

The March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join us for a month of writing! I have avoided writing about our testing season.  It has not been a walk in the "PARCC", but I commend the students for trying their best even under the circumstances of hours upon hours of testing.  That's all we can ask for, right?  I have accepted what is and look forward to the conclusion of this testing season before we turn the calendar to find another testing season looming.  As Christy shared in her celebration post   so eloquently,  I am trying to "reimagine testing."     Our testing season began last Tuesday.  Every day since, I have been administering the assessments.  Most days, in the morning I have been working with a small group of two third grade boys, ...

The March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join us for a month of writing! Did anyone happen to mention that challenges can be hard?    Did anyone tell you that you will have a day when ... You don't know what to write. You just don't want to write. You finally decide to start to write -- and then delete.  Every.  Word. You  WILL  struggle. YOU  will push through. You will just write. Then you start  another slice.  Delete.  Delete.  Delete. And you wait.  You tap your fingers on the keyboard.   And you wait.  As if an idea will magically pour out of your fingertips. You  WILL  want to give up. YOU  will see a glimpse of a story. You will just write. You write and a...

March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join us for a month of writing! Yesterday, I shared my (hopeful) worry about the developing readers I am privileged to work with every day.  Yet, many of my readers are not readers on their own.  I try my best to support them through this journey and wait and wait until the reading bug bites and I can't get their nose out of a book.  But when reading already doesn't come easy (and in some instances reading is limited to a letter or a number) many of my students just don't choose to do it on their own. Therefore, being a hopeful worrier, I won't sit by and let that happen.   I continue to encourage, talk about books, help pick good fit books with choice, and make reading plans.  It was announced by my reading colleague and fri...

Slice of Life  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Summer reading. I can't wait.  I probably won't have the time to do a #bookaday. But I will read.   I will read more than I'm reading now. My reading life has slowed because my time is occupied with my three year olds, house work, and school work.  Soon the daily school work will be put on hold.  I'll still read a professional book or two. I'll still dig into the Common Core.  I'll still be learning for school.  But I'm looking forward to reading more books.  For me. I'm ready to go read.  I have a plan.  I have a stack of books.  I have a promise to myself to read every day. But what about my students? You see, I work with developing readers where reading isn't natural or easy or a pleasurable experience yet .  We are constantly on the search for the book that will hook them to want...

I'm trying to read more posts and leave thoughtful comments, but it is late and I'm tired. (Yawn.) Comments mean so much to me (smile - reload - check - smile more), but my brain is exhausted. I want to read a slice from everyone (you and you and you), but my eyes are  s l o w l  y                                                                                                                                             c                                                          ...

Join the challenge and write! Slice of Life Stories hosted by the Two Writing Teachers Writing each day playing with words trying a touch of craft penning poetry telling stories -- just a slice. Day 15 arrived almost half way fingers tapped wondering what to say -- what to write. Lots to express plenty to compose full notebook  scribbles and quotes nothing grasping -- to say, "Write me!" Started one two three different posts nothing -- grabbed hold. "Just write." I said, just write uncertainty what to write --  just write. Thank you for all the comments, thoughts, reflections on my ' some days' poem yesterday.  I truly struggled.  Call it a writer's block or a fight for words, but I continued to just write and those poems emerged.  How does that happen?  Determination -- dedication -- devotion to just write.  I wasn't thrilled with the finished product (we are our own biggest critic), but I was done. Something was written.  And ...