Slice of Life Tuesday: Taking Flight

As I wrote about in my last post, we recently rescued a caterpillar from a milkweed leaf. Yesterday we had the honor to release a monarch butterfly in our backyard, and I decided to write about it using a 100 Word story:

Taking Flight

“Mom! The butterfly!”

Our caterpillar had emerged from the translucent chrysalis.

Still dangling by spindly legs from the shell, the monarch moved one wing. Then the other.

All afternoon we observed, enamored as she tentatively explored her surroundings.

I recalled butterfly release directions: take outside; gently reach in cage and allow butterfly to latch on; and slowly release. My ten-year-old volunteered. Mesmerized, I watched her somehow invite the butterfly to ride on her index finger.

“See if she will land on your nose!” My brave girl did. The butterfly lingered, insect legs gently grasping her skin before she flew away.

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These are simple moments that will remain with me long past the sweltering days of summer.

Join Two Writing Teachers and share a slice of your life! Everyone is welcome!

Slice of Life Tuesday: Junior High Physical Education Uniform

Join me in writing and sharing a Slice of your Life with Two Writing Teachers.

As the school year comes to an end, I am inviting my high school seniors to reflect on school experiences through micro writing. Below is a 100 word story I wrote to provide as a model to my students. As shared on this week's Slice of Life Tuesday Post, "If we are asking students to take risks, we have to model risk taking" (shared by Meredith Sinclair at the first Connecticut Council for Teachers of English Convention, 2018).

Check out one of my school experiences below in exactly 100 words:

Although over twenty-five years have passed, the required physical education uniform still makes me recoil. All females were required to wear one piece gym suits. No exceptions. Red shorts attached to red and white horizontal striped tops. Durable, itchy polyester. Each girl's last name was carefully printed in thick black sharpie on the left shoulder - a ceremonial duty bestowed by the physical education teacher the first day. On the last day of eighth grade I happily chucked it in the school dumpster. Raised in a fairly frugal household, it was the only item of clothing I ever remember throwing away.

I found this image somewhere on Pinterest.
Although this is not exactly like our gym suits, it is similar.