It was not quite a month ago when I decided I would plunge into Classroom Slicing!
I was peeking at my first blog post on Slicing with Firsties.
Today I celebrate my Tiny Slicers, as I started to call them.
There ended up being about 17 of them. That is almost 70% of my class!
Slicing was available everyday. Some kids chose to simply manage it at home, and had the supports to do that. Awesome.
Some kids needed to write at school. So they did. My Literacy block is designed for lots of choice. (Giving choice has been a process for me...another blog post for another day.) When it was time to work, Slicing was always a choice.
There was a balance of blogging and handwriting. I honored this, because I wanted the focus to be on telling the story! And they did.
We ate lunch once a week. Toward the end, based on schedules and a few unplanned absences, it was sometimes on Friday. This was one of my favorite times of the week. I tried to tweet pictures of them when they were working through lunch. I didn't always link up their blog posts to honor the privacy of some students that need it.
Also, in this lunchtime, I would have used it to look at more mentor pieces of writing through blogs and tweets. (A piece for next year.)
Did we celebrate?!?! Of course we did! I debated this a bit. But I asked the kids to step out and try something new. I was trying something new. I wanted it to be as positive as I could make it.
3 kids wrote all 31 days. We celebrated with pizza lunch and "treat bags."
Treat bags = a tiny notebook, pen, pencil. :) Writing tools of course.
14 of my kids wrote on average 20 extra pieces of writing! We celebrated too with a picnic lunch and more treat bags. (tiny notebook, pen, pencil.)
What about my non-Slicers?
I really believe that it's okay that not everyone participated. Writing is a hard process when you are emerging into literacy. When it came up in conversation (i.e. "I'm not slicing. I want to go to recess.") I would always reassure them that it was okay. At the beginning, I would offer the invitation to try Slicing. Then I would compliment them on something they were working on in Writer's Workshop. Every time.
Next year?
I will try again. I will work on connecting more digitally. But consider Mrs. Limback's class all in for next year!
Joy!
Kendra
Kendra
Wow! I can't beehive you did this with first graders. I am impressed and you must be so proud of them. This is quite an accomplishment for all...and I LOVE the treat bag of writing tools - how appropriate!
ReplyDeleteThat is supposed to be believe not beehive!
DeleteYour kiddos are amazing! Writing is hard for all of us. Bravo to your young ones who sliced and to you for allowing the flexibility that honors all students place in space. Big smiles to you!
ReplyDeleteI believe these numbers of your young class are astounding, Kendra. The experience they had will stay with them, & add to their repertoire so much. Like everyone I'd see, & from my own experience, it was hard to stay up daily, check in with the students, write their post for linking along with my own. We celebrated this week & will do so again. It's also wonderful that you supported choice. Some just aren't ready. Have a great rest of the weekend too!
ReplyDeleteYay Tiny Slicers (love that)! I'm celebrating Monday and Tuesday with my slicers. I'm serving slices of cake and pizza. :-) I haven't counted them all up yet. Your gifts of choice and celebration will stay in their minds for a long time!
ReplyDelete70% of your kids wrote for 20+ days?!!? That's a huge success! Congratulations to you and to them. (BTW: I love the term "Tiny Slicers." We may have to use that next year... and credit you for the term, of course.)
ReplyDelete