In with a spark

Day 1 of 31 at Two Writing Teachers!

This year, instead of coming in like a lion or a lamb, March has come in with a spark.

For the 3rd year, I'm participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. I know it will be a whirlwind month of struggling and rejoicing, playing with words, pushing my limits, and connecting with old and new friends.

The first year, my husband was the only person in my "real life" who knew I was doing the challenge until it was over. Last year, I showed my parents a few of my posts, told some teachers about the challenge, and brought slicing into my classroom.

This year, as I strive to embody my OLW, I went out of my comfort zone by inviting several colleagues and all my friends from the Columbus Area Writing Project to join me. And guess what? My spark caught on. Some were excited to take on the challenge. Some weren't so sure about writing every day, but liked the idea of pushing themselves to write more often. A few are even creating brand new blogs thanks to my nudging!

I'm so proud of all of them for jumping in, and I'm honored to call them my friends and colleagues. I know this month will change their lives, just like the past three years of slicing have transformed mine!  Please welcome these incredible educators to their first month of slicing:

• Laura (a TESOL graduate student who's observing me this semester!)
• Stella (our elementary ELL Lead Teacher)
• my mom (a high school principal)
• Silke (an ELL colleague I've known since back when I taught Spanish)
• Jennifer W. (a CAWP colleague)
• Rachel (a middle school Language Arts teacher)
• And of course, my students!!!

I'm looking forward to a special month of writing, shared with special people. Our stories draw us together.