Slice of Life #22 Day 14: Life Equations

 For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Slice of Life #22 :Day 14/31:

 Life Equations

For several years now, I have been a fan of the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal. When my children were small I used to read them This Plus That: Life's Little Equations. I have fond memories of the life equations we made together. Four years ago my daughter and I wrote some life equations. You can read about it here. 

In reflecting on this past week, I wrote a few of my own life equations.

(homemade breakfast) served to me - clean-up = happy, grateful girlfriend.

One of the breakfasts Steve made me this weekend.

(wool hat + mittens + park) X sunrise = peaceful morning walk.

A view from one of my morning walks this week.

(purring Herbert + childhood quilt) - school work = lazy afternoon.

Herbert snuggling on my lap.

Have you ever tried to write a life equation? 

Slice of Life #22 Day 13: Wisconsin Ice Cream

 For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Slice of Life #22: Day 13/31:

Wisconsin Ice Cream

Enjoying ice cream. 16 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice of Life #22: Day 12: Missing School

For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Slice of Life #22: Day 12/31: 

Missing School

Friday was a rough school day. Due to a planned medical procedure, I had to take two days in a row of sick days this week. Although I left detailed sub plans and worked from home as much as I could while I was out, I began Friday morning frazzled. That feeling did not cease for the whole school day.

My substitute was good and even left me a short note that my students were great. (Even better, I was grateful that I didn't have a sub failure and did not need to rely on my colleagues to take over.) It looked like most of my students followed directions and some were productive when I was gone. Score! 

Several of my students wanted to know where I was and why I was gone. They were concerned that I was gone for two days. One of my freshman students even told me that she was nervous that I would be gone for the rest of the week. 

It felt good to be missed. 

I have been teaching for over twenty-two years. I know how to effectively prepare for a sub and what to expect when I return. Yet, it is still difficult being out of the classroom. 

Looming over my head is the knowledge that my absence means that I will need to do a lot of catch up this weekend in order to be ready to go on Monday.

I know, friends. I'm preaching to the choir. 

Slice of Life #22 Day 11: Ten Observations

For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Slice of Life #22: Day 11/31: 

Ten Observations

When I originally began writing this post, I felt stuck. Heck, I even felt a little panicked. It's only Day 11 of this challenge and I already felt like I had nothing worth writing about. 

As I have done in the past, I turned to one of my favorite writing resources, Writing Toward Home. For me, reading Georgia Heard's work always inspires me. She gently reminds me that writing is not about grand adventures or how worldly you are. Instead, often the most powerful writing can often begin with what you notice, what you experience, and what you know. 

Georgia Heard shares, "...our unmediated observations of the world become the foundation for writing" (69). In her short chapter called "Ten Observations a Day" she invites writers to record ten observations each day without commentary. 

Keeping Georgia's advice in mind, Thursday afternoon I took a walk around my neighborhood. Below are ten things I observed:

An elderly couple walking hand in hand

A white cat watching birds from a windowsill

Patches of frozen ice on the edges of the sidewalk

The sun disappearing over the horizon

A disposable blue mask hanging on a chain link fence

A Cooper's Hawk flying overhead

Amazon packages waiting on a neighbor's front step

Geese resting on the frozen baseball field

A Black-Capped Chickadee perched on a barren branch

A teenager skateboarding with mittens on

In reflection, I realized that I could turn any of these observations into a slice. 

Thank you, Georgia Heard. 

Slice of Life #22: Day 10: Paint Chip Poetry

For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Slice of Life #22: Day 10: 

Paint Chip Poetry

Have you ever heard of Paint Chip Poetry? I must have been inspired from a Slice of Life fellow blogger last year (or even the year before). I bought it and never tried it... until yesterday. 

It's marketed as a game, but I think that it is really about word play. You can play by yourself or with others. I played solo.

The concept is fairly easy. You select twelve paint chip cards from the box. Then you pick a prompt. You play with the words. Finally, you share out what you created. You can use the words, apply the colors to your creation, or add your own words. I like that you can use as few or as many of the paint chips as you like. 

The first time I played I came up with this:

I could see doing this again and perhaps using this with my students or in a future Literary Club meeting.

In what ways have you used Paint Chip Poetry?

Slice of Life #22: Day 9: Cardboard Delight

For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Slice of Life #22: Day 9: 

Cardboard Delight

Until we rescued a pair of kittens last fall, I had no idea how much cats could enjoy cardboard boxes...or rather obsessed with cardboard boxes! 

If I leave out an empty box, Binx and Herbert immediately claim it, no matter the size. At times, especially with a smaller box, it seems like they wrestle over who gets dibs on the box. 

I've watched my kittens play hide-n-seek with boxes. I've observed them hide in a box. I've even seen them sleep in a box.

Yesterday morning I set out an empty Amazon box on the kitchen floor. Within minutes, Binx and Herbert raced to get to it first. With great amusement, I watched them play in their new box.

Kittens delight at/

empty cardboard boxes./

Free entertainment. 

Slice of Life #22: Day 8: Something Looks Different

For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Slice of Life #22: Day 8: 

Something Looks Different

"Did you clean?"

"I can't tell, but something looks so weird in here."

"Where did all the posters go?"

"Is your room getting a makeover?" 

"It looks like a whole new room!"

At least one student in every class commented on my classroom yesterday. My students were right - my classroom definitely looked different. I took several anchor charts and posters down early Monday morning, leaving chunks of blank space on partitioned classroom walls.

There was no weekend vandalism. 

There was no quick dash to clean.

There was no grand plan for redecorating.

It was just me following directions. There can be nothing visible that might aid students on the ACT test. 

In a little while, all juniors will take the state-mandated ACT test. ACT testing is one of my least favorite school days of the year. It will be an incredibly long day for students testing and staff proctoring. 

I cannot wait until all of our mandated standardized testing is done for the 2021-2022 school year.