Slice of Life is sponsored every Tuesday by Stacey and Ruth from Two Writing Teachers. I have a friend who walks with me and waits patiently while I photograph favorite trees and blossoms. I'm not a professional photographer, but the photos that I snap with my phone bring joy to me and often become a featured desktop photo. During March I kept looking for the new growth which appears on our evergreens. It's a lovely, pale shade of green and so soft to the touch. When I see it, I'm unable to resist the urge to touch it and experience the softness of this new growth. We were unable to find any of this new growth on our walks, so we decided that we must have missed it.
This past Saturday hubby and I took a walk. I like to explore new neighborhoods, but he prefers walking the same route. While walking the pedestrian route that my husband prefers, I turned a corner and was totally surprised by new growth! I was so excited that I emailed the photo to my friend as soon as we arrived home from our walk. She insists that she heard me singing before she received the photo. Here's the photo and my thanks to each of you who nurture my growth with your comments! I feel that this tender new growth mirrors my attempt at writing in this public forum.
If you sliced with your students in March, I'd love to hear about your month of writing and the ways that you celebrated student growth. I can't resist a shoutout to fellow blogger, Dana, who provided questions that helped me frame a reflection for my 6th graders to respond to their month of writing.
What a great image for your classroom - like the great pine - we sprout new growth in the spring:)
ReplyDeleteI love the photo and the analogy to new growth in our students as they write. This month I am nurturing growth with poetry writing every day. Rather that was April but it is spilling into May. It is so gratifying for me as a teacher as they discover their inner poet and new ways to use words. I should definitely do a reflection before the school year ends.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Margaret. This is a great analogy. On the literal side, I love your picture. My favorite spring activity is walking with Chloe and finding as many signs of spring and new growth as I can.
ReplyDeleteI love to see and touch the new growth too. I snap the pictures and think this may show up in a slice someday. My phone has become my digital notebook for slices. Your analogy is great, what a nice way to explain learning to kids too.
ReplyDeleteLoved the photograph and what it represents! Aren't you glad you stepped into the public forum, nerve-wracking as it may be? My sixth graders slice all year, every Friday - it's been such a great experience for them, especially because, as you noted, it give them a whole new way to experience the writing life. Bravo to your sixth graders!
ReplyDeleteRamona--
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the way you stretched yourself to find the connection between the new growth on the tree and your current writing life. Lovely.
Happy writing,
Ruth
What a great way to symbolize our growth as writers. I like that visual...I notice when the pines are like that too. Thanks for sharing your vision of growth...I know I have learned so much...
ReplyDeleteAmy
I love this comparison! Student growth has been slapping me in the face this week. When you look at it day by day, it's not as startling, but then all the sudden you see all this new growth gathered together, as in your picture, and it is just amazing! Great post.
ReplyDelete