Since Last March #sol20

It’s almost time for the Slice of Life blogging challenge and I started reflecting on all that’s happened since last March. While I’m not sure if I’ll be able to participate every day, I do plan to continue my blogging on Tuesdays.

Since last March, my significant other entered my life. He has brought so much joy into my life and I am so blessed to have him by my side. He is truly my partner and best friend. He makes every day brighter! I love the time that we spend together!

Since last March, I started writing a book. Without the support of the Teach Write community and Jen Laffin in particular, I would never have even thought that I could do this. While the book is still in a very rough form, I’ve made some progress.

Since last March, I was installed as the President of the Virginia State Reading Association. It has been an incredible experience! I have learned so much

Since last March, I agreed to serve as the 2021 VSRA conference chair. My family now jokes that planning conferences has become my hobby:)

Since last March, I attended my first UVa basketball game (and two more!). I love watching the Cavaliers and seeing them in person was unforgettable. My significant other, who is also a UVa fan, and I attended the games against JMU, UNC, and Virginia Tech. We’re already thinking about other games, too!

Since last March, I participated in my district’s project based learning training. As a result of this training, I’ve collaborated with two classroom teachers on projects. The most recent project, telling the stories of nursing home residents, has been an unforgettable experience. Those ladies had such incredible stories to tell and I can’t wait to do this project again!

A lot has happened since last March!

A new notebook #sol20

I just filled up a notebook. Some of the pages are filled with ramblings. Some of the pages are filled with snippets of professional writing, including ideas for a project that I hope will be a published book one day. Some of the pages house my word if the day (today’s word is relieved after watching the Daytona 500 last night).

My Mom, who has championed my writing life since I was first able to hold a pencil, must have sensed my need for a new notebook because she presented me with a set of notebooks that she picked up for me yesterday. So I settled down in my favorite recliner with one of the new notebooks and a pen, ready to start filling more pages. I can’t wait to see what ends up on these pages!

Currently…conference night edition #sol20

Since parent-teacher conferences were held this evening, I decided to do a “Currently” slice because it’s been a busy day and I honestly needed a quick, easy slice.

Currently, I am…

Thinking about…sitting in my recliner and relaxing.

Eating…the delicious fried chicken dinner my principal provided.  I’m trying not to focus on the fact that I went back for seconds and contemplated a third visit to the buffet.

Drinking…the glass of iced tea that sat on my desk unattended as I bounced between rooms.

Thankful for…my amazing principal and colleagues.  I appreciate sharing conference time with them and listening to their observations of students.  I am also thankful for the families who attended the conferences amd for the great conversations!

Waiting for…tonight’s basketball game between UVa and Norte Dame…if I can stay awake. 9:00 games are rough!

Smelling…the Lysol that I sprayed when I left to attend a conference in another room. I think I overdid it a little bit😊 However, I’m determined to get rid of any germs!

Excited about…a lesson I did on decoding strategies with an autistic reader.

Remembering #sol20

Last Tuesday, I wrote about my “one word of the day” that I’m recording in my writer’s notebook.  Today, as I thought about the word that best described my day, I immediately chose “Remembering.”  Today would have been my Dad’s 83rd birthday and I’ve thought about him throughout the day and all of the birthdays that we spent together.  While it’s been sixteen years since his passing, it still feels like it was just last week.  He was such an incredible dad and every time someone used #girldad in the wake of Kobe Bryant’s death, I always thought of my Dad.  He loved being a #girldad and I always knew how much he loved being my father and how much he loved me.  Happy Birthday, Daddy!

One word a day #sol20

Although I haven’t posted much, I have been participating in Michelle Haseltine’s #100daysofnotebooking. If you aren’t familiar with this challenge, I highly recommend checking it out.

During this challenge, I’ve spent a lot of time in my notebook working on a project that I’m cautiously calling “a book.” However, I also started a word of the day page in my notebook and at the end of every day, I reflect on the day and select a word that characterizes my thoughts, feelings, and experiences. While I try to choose a positive word, occasionally a word like “tired” crept onto the list.

Today’s word reflects how grateful I am to celebrate my grandmother’s 87th birthday. I cherish every day that we have together and every birthday is special. I’m so glad that we have this time together!

I would rather…instead of #sol20

Today’s slice grew out of a writing activity that I did with a group of fourth graders.  I often use prompts that I’ve collected over my time as a slicer and adapt them for use in my classroom.  Today, students used the “I would rather…instead of…” prompt.  We had a great time writing together.

I would rather read a book                                         instead of watching t.v.

I would rather relax in my recliner                          instead of walking on the treadmill.

I would rather eat in a restaurant                             instead of cooking at home.

I would rather take pictures                                       instead of being in pictures.

I would rather watch UVa’s basketball team           instead of any other team.

I would rather drive places                                         instead of being a passenger.

 

I included a few of my students’ examples below.

I would rather play Fortnite                                        instead of going to school.

I would rather eat cookies                                           instead of crackers.

I would rather watch Virginia Tech                           instead of UVa (He just had to include this!).

I would rather sleep late                                               instead of getting up early.

I would rather eat candy                                               instead of waffles.

I would rather ride a Quad                                           instead of a bike.

I would rather play                                                         instead of clean.

 

I love writing with my students and I enjoy bringing a piece of the SOLSC world into my classroom!

Three Things Tuesday #sol20

I started and deleted at least three potential posts. I’m not sure why these posts weren’t working. I’ve actually been on a writing roll lately (Thanks Teach Write and #100daysofnotebooking!), so I was surprised when nothing seemed to work. I reflected on the day and searched for something to write about. So, I decided to compose a “Three Things Tuesday” post. Normally I would do a “Ten Things Tuesday” post, but I’m feeling a little lazy:)

1. As part of #100daysofnotebooking, I’ve been writing a “word of the day”. Some of the words I’ve chosen include “loved,” “tenacious,” and “tired.” I’ve been thinking about the word to choose for today. I think today’s word will be “proud.” We have a first-year kindergarten teacher at our school and she just finished midyear literacy assessments that demonstrated wonderful growth among her students. She has worked incredibly hard with all of her students and I am so proud of her!

2. My MacBook continues to behave strangely and I’m worried that a new computer will be necessary. My computer has been so cranky recently and I’m getting so frustrated with it! It stopped talking to my printer and I’m having a hard time using it during the Teach Write online writing workshop. For some reason, my computer particularly doesn’t want to connect to Zoom.

3. While my UVA Cavaliers have had a rough couple of games recently, I’m not going to be one of those armchair coaches who declares that they’re in trouble and things are going to continue to go downhill. I’m proud of these guys and know that they’ll keep working and growing. I can’t wait to see them play tomorrow night!