A Slice of Life - Celebrating Firsts

A common strategy used in teaching students to generate ideas in their writing notebooks is to make a list...things you love, favorite places, special people, just to name a few.  I have always had my students create a list of "firsts" - things they remember doing for the first time.  As an adult, trying to seriously use a writer's notebook for the first time, I have found that I could write my personal lists as a child, a mother, a wife, or as a teacher.

After last week, I can now write about things I want to remember as a writer.

• my first blog
• my first post
• my first slice of life
• my first comment from Katherine Sokolowski

After my first slice last week, I became courageous enough to leave a comment on Katherine's blog telling her what an influence she has been on my teaching, reading and writing life.  She thanked me and told me she was off to find my blog.

Later that day, I opened my laptop and sure enough, she not only found it, but she left a comment.  I felt like a child at Christmas time....Santa not only stopped at my house, but he left me a present!

Last summer was the first time I started reading blogs.  I spent hours reading the endless trails from one blog to another, many times getting lost along the way.  I honestly do not remember how it all happened, but I do know that Read, Write, Reflect was the one I connected with.  It was first on my bookmarks and the first one that I read every day.  

I don't know if the connection was because Katherine lives somewhat close to my hometown, compared to the locations of some of the other teachers on the blogs I was reading.  It may have been that I actually lived down the cornfield...I mean interstate...from where she lives.  That was many years ago during my first career as a retail district manager. 

What I DO know is that I admired her way of teaching and her "reading relationship" she had with her students.  I was like a sponge and absorbed every word she wrote.  After reading her thoughts on teaching and education and learning about some of the things she did in her classroom, I knew that was how I wanted my classroom to be.  This gave me the courage to teach in ways I knew in my heart were  right, but was afraid to do them for fear of being the only one.  I know I became a better teacher last year because of her and what she taught me through reading Read, Write, Reflect.  As I told her in my comment, she was my silent mentor, and I wanted to be just like her "when I grew up."

Now that I am focusing on becoming a better teacher of writing, I know I will continue to read her blog along with many others, to gain inspiration and knowledge.  I still have so much to learn about this blogging, writing world, but I am grateful for this new chapter in my life, for Katherine's inspiration, and for celebrating my firsts.

Slice of Life hosted by

TWO WRITING TEACHERS