Tag: reflection

March 31 – 9:00-9:31 p.m. California

Denise Krebs23 Comments
31 March 2025 TwoWritingTeachers.org

Thanks to Dr. Kim Haynes Johnson for coming up with the idea to blog about different 31-minute slices of the day. Thank you to my other 31-minute slicers this year: Kim, Glenda Funk, and Barb Edler. Thank you, as well, to all those in the community of educators at the Slice of Life Story Challenge who helped motivate me to continue writing, and for the joy, challenge, and learning you have given me through your sincere and skillful slicing this year.

I found writing about a small slice of the day to be a rewarding and interesting exercise. I didn’t plan anything special during each day’s timeframe, but instead I enjoyed waiting for it; I just lived my day and paid attention when that time came up. It was easy for the most part and also the first time I’ve ever had a plan for the Slice of Life Story Challenge. In the past, I was on the lookout for slices anytime during the day, collected formats, watched what others wrote, and borrowed ideas. My notes were usually disorganized, but I always had more than enough ideas to make it through the month. This year many opportunity’s like Leigh Ann’s invitation to the Slicer Music Festival passed me by. I just paid attention to my upcoming 31-minute slice. I liked doing something new, but I don’t think I would do this time slicing again. I would consider trying a new plan for the SOLSC next year.

So as this evening’s slice of time draws to a close, I’m finishing up this last post of March with a brief synopsis of what one day in my life looked like this month in 2025. I’m glad I lived this “day” over the whole month instead of in 24 hours.

5:00-5:31 a.m. Read in bed Resistance: How Women Saved Democracy from Donald Trump by Jennifer Rubin.
5:32-6:03  Read more because I couldn’t sleep during the night due to the nonsense going on in Washington.
6:04-6:35 Slept through this slice because of a very busy day yesterday, and a poor night’s sleep the night before.
6:36-7:07 Drove to windy Palm Springs for car repairs.
7:08-7:39 Made tea and read.
7:40-8:11 Wrote a blackout poem about Not-the-State-of-the-Union speech
8:12-8:43 Wrote a Spanish Multilingual Blogger post and tea at Más O Menos.
8:44-9:15 Brewed kombucha.
9:16-9:47 Sold Friends of the Library raffle tickets at the farmers’ market.
9:48-10:19 Sang Spanish worship songs at church
10:20-10:51 Recruited sponsors for the spell-a-thon
10:52-11:23 Tried to finish reading The Probability of Everything
11:24-11:55 Helped solve our plumbing emergency
11:56-12:27 Stitched pillow covers for a gift
12:28-12:59 Visited snow on the nearby peak
1:00-1:31 p.m. Rewrote a poem
1:32-2:03 Met with Activists of Morongo
2:04-2:35 Walked in Remembrance Park to see the saber-tooth tiger
2:36-3:07 Lunched with friends at Billy Reed’s.
3:08-3:39 Hiked at the Hall of Horrors.
3:40-4:11 Backed up the truck and then retrieved my husband’s hat at a restaurant.
4:12-4:43 Got dinner prepped for company and tried to finish a borrowed book.
4:44-5:15 Joined Trans Rights Readathon
5:16-5:47 Hiked alone
5:48-6:19 Prevented glucose spikes
6:20-6:51 Caused glucose spikes
6:52-7:23 Enjoyed the setting sun
7:24-7:55 Watched Opening Day for Arizona Diamondbacks*
7:56-8:27 Multitasked: T.V. and Duolingo
8:28-8:59 Rerun evening slice, so instead I blogged about grasping from earlier in the day.
9:00-9:31 Summarized and reflected on this year’s Slice of Life Story Challenge.

*D-Backs beat the Cubs on Sunday, 10-6. I guess I’m enjoying this MLB app more than I thought I would.

Now, we continue our writing adventure. Tomorrow the Slice of Life community continues on Tuesdays. See you then. I also want to invite anyone who would like to join us at Ethical ELA’s VerseLove, with classroom-ready poetry prompts each day during National Poetry Month. I’ll be hosting on Thursday this week. (It was five years ago that Glenda invited us at the end of the SOLSC, and I’ve been enjoying being part of that community ever since. Do come and give it a try.)

Google form to sign up for VerseLove: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8TToS8lWxzgrOGHmE-2GshPt24-Oa3ln4bruuNZ0zQMLIqg/viewform 

Keep the Genius Hour Learning Going

Denise Krebs

My goal for my students is that they become lifelong, independent learners. Not those who jump through hoops, but those who embrace the LEARNING of school. I have a lot of students like this at my sweet school. Grade 5 is actually such a fun year for passionate learning.

In our recent Genius Hour “unit” in at-home emergency learning, I knew it was going well for my students and for me. I had not heard much from the parents, though, so after we finished I sent out a feedback form. I am happy to report, it was going well for them too. I asked them a few questions:

  1. Was the amount of time just right, too much, or not enough?
  2. When your child ran into a problem, were they able to solve it or figure out a solution?
  3. Did they learn or create something new?
  4.  Was it a valuable learning experience?

The answers were overwhelmingly positive. The time was just right. Yes, their children were able to figure out how to solve their problems. They learned something new. And it was valuable from the parents’ perspective.

When I asked the parents if they wanted to say anything else, the answers were also very positive. Here is a word cloud so you can get a taste of their lovely comments.

It seems like their children have been doing that independent learning at home. The learning that I long for them to do. I think we are on the right track.

Now, I’m excitedly keeping the Genius Hour learning going. While I watched their presentations, I kept a list of all the amazing things they were teaching me. Now, I am home replicating some of my favorites because who doesn’t need a unicorn cloud pencil and marker organizer?

My inspiration was Noor’s pencil holder.

Here is my video of my student-inspired projects so far. I hope to help the Genius Hour learning spread! Wouldn’t that be fun? Genius hour all summer with inspiration from their peers. I will be suggesting it for their lesson in our last week together.

What Will I Keep?

Denise Krebs2 Comments

This post is week 8 of 8 in the 8 Weeks of Summer Blog Challenge for educators.

The #8WeeksofSummer blogging challenge will stay with me. One takeaway is that I do better at blogging with a challenge. I’ve been blogging for close to ten years now, sometimes more regularly than others.

Here is a little history of my recent blogging:

In 2019, I made 16 posts. I began the year blogging, thanks to the #Blogging28 challenge last January through Edublogs, posting 5 times in January. In February through May, I made 3 more posts–no challenges. Then starting in June through today, I’ve made 8 posts in the #8WeeksofSummer challenge.

In 2018, I made 3 posts.

In 2017, I made 57 posts.

What was the difference between 2017 and 2018? Blogging challenges.

In 2017,  I took two challenges, the #edublogsclub and #SliceofLife2017, which was each day in March and some Tuesdays after. In 2018, I took no challenges.

Writing heals and keeps me sane, so I need to take time to write. If blogging challenges are a way to encourage me to do that, I will take them.

Thank you so much to Penny Christensen for running this professional reflection challenge for this summer. Thanks also to Penny and other friends who came and commented on my blog–Sheri, Joy, and Scott.

Now. what will my next challenge be?