Thanks Stacey, Tara, Dana, Beth, Anna and Betsy!
I introduced the Slice of Life with students yesterday. They wrote, broke into groups, and shared. From my observations in one group, it seems that they "got it", and were willing to try describing a piece of their lives. I kept it low-key, and we'll write again tomorrow. This group does have good writing experience, but now the challenge is to get them to narrow the focus, revise in all the different ways to revise to make the writing good. Step one, step two... and on! Exciting!
And I wrote too:
There are those who say that messy desks open up paths to creativity, but I'm wondering. My desk at school is not messy, but is piled high, and no, I'm not going to show you a picture of it, but I am going to discuss one tiny slice of my life that occurs about twice a week.
I have a narrow hallway in my new home, not even room for a narrow table. When I walk into my home, the first thing I 'run in to' is my dining table, beautifully large and long, just right for placing things. And sometimes it seems that every.single.thing brought into the house ends up there. When company is coming, I scurry around, shooing all these things to their proper places: catalogs to a small globe table shelf, junk mail to the desk/table in my office/library books to the library book stack, coat to the coat closet handbag to the rolling cart in the office. Well, I imagine you understand. I actually am rather organized and my home is not filled with clutter, except for the dining table! And so every few days I de-clutter, till the next time.
 |
| This in NOT my table, but it's very clean, must have a pretty view. photo credit: KimManleyOrt via photopin cc |
 |
| This is the table, covered with stuff too often. |
I'm glad you shared and added the pictures. Does it make you feel happy when you are clutter free? My office most of the time takes the clutter in. I'm guessing your students will also identify...getting to write the small moments are sometimes challenging, but I'm guessing that they will love to 'slice' when it becomes a habit. xo
ReplyDeleteYes, beginning so we can form those habits, Nancy. I like to have the table free, probably so I can start again. It isn't a big deal until I'm having company for dinner!
DeleteLinda, my colleague and friend just asked me yesterday if I thought maybe I had a touch of OCD. I must declutter my desk every day before leaving work. I can't help myself. :)
ReplyDeleteI feel like a little organization of my school desk is a good send-off for me before I leave. I don't know if that's OCD or not. Sometimes I don't do it, but mostly. It helps me get ready for what's next.
DeleteLove your big table filled with stuff. I have one of those too. And it is my favorite place to work. The end result is clutter that needs to be tended to daily. Like Dana also have to declutter my school desk before I leave. Is it OCD?
ReplyDeleteAs said above, don't know about the OCD, but I really am the one step at a time kind of person, organizing helps me be ready for what's next, usually a busy evening, too.
DeleteLove the quilt on the table. My wife and I are the same, a cleaned off flat surface is just asking for things to be piled on it.
ReplyDeleteAny surface, for sure. I keep thinking I need more shelves! They would fill too, I expect.
DeleteWe all have these catch all places, Linda, and I choose to find comfort in them. My table fills up just like yours, but I look forward to my Saturday ritual - organizing and cleaning it off again, coffee cup in hand, and thinking over the busy week. Love that quilt, too!
ReplyDeleteGlad you & Arjeha like the quilt, a special one I found one day a long time ago. The Saturday morning time sounds good, Tara.
DeleteI have a bed in Tuvia's house where I house my stuff. I love it when it's neat but can't always be. Thanks for the tour of your new digs.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bonnie, fun to hear that a bed helps. Hm-m, I have two guest bedrooms...
DeleteWell, my desk at school (and home) is a mess! ;-) I just tell myself I'm creative. Ha. They're both mostly cluttered with books. ;-)
ReplyDeleteYes, the books are not always easy to put somewhere. I have books all over my house, in my office & now classroom at school. Whew! Glad to know about the 'creative' part, Holly!
DeleteSome places just beg to have clutter on top of them. It is always a breathe of fresh air when I declutter a space and ready it for the next offering.
ReplyDeleteYes, the open arms to clutter is on any service, I agree, Judy. I guess that's why I de-clutter.
DeleteI look forward to your adventure into slicing with the students. What a perfect example to demonstrate how one small topic can be a jumping off place for writing. I'm a stacker too, and I don't declutter nearly often enough.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elsie, it's going to be fun to see what the students create for sure.
DeleteI am exactly the same with the kitchen bench. Unfortunately I'm not much better elsewhere too but we have had a pre Christmas shuffle around ;)
ReplyDeleteFun to hear that Christmas is helping you re-shuffle. I still need to get more out. The tree comes later! Thanks, Catherine.
DeleteI have in my plans to introduce the Slicing Challenge in March as an option for my young writers. I can't wait to see what happens. I'm teaching Small Moments right now! I'm a total stacker, and have several "stations" around home and school for me to work and create in. My husband really should get some kind of sainthood...
ReplyDeleteI think it will be a fun SOL challenge this year with some of our classes participating too. Happy to hear about your 'stations', Kendra!
DeleteWe have very similar dining room tables! Ours is right when we walk in as well, and becomes a dumping ground.
ReplyDeleteThey're just so very handy, aren't they? Fun to hear others have this happening.
DeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteOh we all have our spots, don't we. I have a terrible habit of putting everything on the end of our kitchen counter. We get stacks and stacks of mail which piles until I finally find the energy to go through it. Usually I can take a six inch stack and find only two pieces of mail I really needed. At least you put your stack away every few days. I have been known to shove my stack in baskets or under tables hoping it will go unnoticed.
Cathy
Oh yes, then there is the junk mail, filling my re-cycling bin about as much as anything else. We deal in 'stuff', I guess. I don't have so much counter space anymore, but even there things do get stacked. I think I touched several lives today with this writing. Thanks, Cathy.
DeleteI think we all have stacks somewhere, Linda. Mind tend to collect on the coffee table and by my bed. I'm always so optimistic about what I'll actually be able to read in the three minutes before I fall asleep!
ReplyDeleteHa! I'm still reading tonight, but getting drowsy. So funny to think about those lofty reading plans, Catherine!
DeleteI am so glad someone else's dining room table looks like this! Because mine almost always does! I guess I need to have company more often, so I would clean it off!
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm in good company, Carol! Busy lives...
DeleteIt is always so meaningful for your students when you slice with them. I've gotten away from this since we've been slicing since August. Now the cluttered space issue is a sore subject with me. I look around me as I write this and see clutter. My school desk is not much better. I make piles. That way it looks a little more organized. I do not even have a touch of OCD. I am totally abstract random.
ReplyDelete