#SOL22: Talk
Oversell? Undersell?
The waiter was charming. “It’s the best. As a third generation LA resident, it’s the best.”
Tempted to scoff at the claim, I didn’t. And yet, “Tell me more,” did emerge from my mouth.
As a Midwesterner, I was doubting the claim. I was expecting “the sell” on the sea bass so close to the ocean. Seafood, yes. Or the pasta, in an Italian restaurant. Beef, not so much.
A bone-in ribeye, on a patio, with friends, a celebratory dinner.
Tender, flavorful, perfectly done.
Every morsel eaten.
Best steak in Santa Monica!
What talk matters? What talk is convincing? Who are the experts? How do you know the anticipation matches the outcome?
I can’t imagine that I will ever stop asking waitstaff about menu items. It’s truly a pleasure when the “sale” matches expectations. And now my chagrin. After googling beef production, my state lags behind California in beef production. We’re seventh and CA is fourth. Oops. A traveler with arrogance about quality beef is now apologetic. However, I do know quality steak! And you don’t have to be in a steakhouse to find a superb steak. Thank YOU, Il Formo! Thank YOU, Santa Monica!
And this week’s adventures will continue!
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Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for this weekly forum.
Check out the writers and readers here.
#SOLSC and #DigiLitSunday
This week’s theme for #DigiLitSunday is “Slicing our lives”. Head on over to Margaret Simon’s “Reflections on the Teche” for additional posts.
Slicing our lives is what many bloggers do each Tuesday throughout the year. But when March arrives (whether like a lion or a lamb), it’s time for the “Story Challenge” where bloggers write each day of the month. So that’s 31 consecutive posts to write as well as to respond to fellow bloggers in the community! This year is the 10th annual SOLSC so that’s a whole lot of stories.
Why Slice?
It’s an opportunity to write stories every day and live a more writerly life . . . in public. Sharing stories allows us to build a community of writing friends. Perhaps in the first year of slicing, you only read the posts of those persons who post just before and after you. But after a while, you branch out and look for those who write about similar topics, teach the same grade, have similar jobs, people you follow on Twitter or those you have met in real life (IRL) or face to face (F2F).
What is a community?
It’s often considered to be a group of people joined together for a common purpose or passion. Today I celebrate both the Slice of Life Community and the DigiLitSunday Community. Friends from around the world that I rely on when I’m looking to learn more. Friends that I often meet in both the blogosphere and the Twitterverse. Friends with whom I enjoy spending time!
Members of both communities that I have met face to face at NCTE and/or TCRWP Institutes or Saturday Reunions include:
- Margaret Simon
- Tara Smith
- Carol Versalona
- Julianne Harmatz (We even presented on a panel together at NCTE15!)
Slice of Life Community members that I have met face to face at NCTE and TCRWP (Institutes and / or Saturday Reunions)
- Stacey
- Dana
- Betsy
- Deb
- Michelle
- Melanie
- Lisa
- Catherine
- Paula
- Glenda
Slicers that I have met face to face at TCRWP Institutes or Saturday reunions:
- Sally
- Erika
- Phyllis
- Lanny
- Dayna
Slicers that I have met face to face at ILA or NCTE:
- Clare
- Lynne
- Rose
- Elsie
- Jennifer
- Leigh Anne
- Linda
- Ramona
Slicers in my neighborhood that I see at local/Iowa events:
- Kathy Scuitema
- Deb Day
Slicers that I am looking forward to meeting:
Everyone of you that I have not yet met. I so enjoy reading the “About” section of blogs to see where you are from and whatever additional information you provide. I have gone with you to quilt shows, Africa, France, to family events, to dinner and have so enjoyed learning with and from so many talented writers!
My life is richer for all the slicers that I know around the world IRL (F2F) or online! Thanks for being so generous with your time and stories! I’m honored to have so many great “blogging mentors” in my life! Thanks to so many of you for stopping by, reading and commenting.
(And my sincere apologies, in advance, for anyone I’ve accidentally left off the list. I started it two days ago and I’ve been checking my blog posts and my ILA, NCTE, and TCRWP notes to try to be as accurate as possible. However, the mind is the first thing to go . . . with old age!)
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Lanny, Lisa, Melanie, and Stacey for this weekly forum and the #SOLSC that runs from March 1 to the 31st. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
#SOL16: Quiet Anticipation
Excited and thinking the best,
Anticipating
Friends . . .
Fellow Twitter Friends
Fellow Voxer Friends
Fellow Bloggers
Fellow #NCTE14 and #NCTE15 attendees
The shiny ball is going to drop on #NCTE16 and I can’t wait!
Professional Development is an “investment in yourself” – Check out this blog post from #NCTE15! Continual growth matters!
Learning
Listening
Learning
Eyes wide open
Learning
Within a cocoon of friendship
Learning
Around every corner
Learning
At every session
Learning
In Atlanta!
Looking forward to meeting up, face to face, with “Slicers” Saturday night.
Will you be there?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Dana, Deb, Kathleen, Lisa, Melanie, and Stacey for this weekly forum. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
What have I learned from #NCTE in the past?
#NCTE 14 (First Timer Report) here, (Community, Collaboration & Social Justice) here, (Our presentation – Story as the Landscape of Knowing) here, (Top 10 Quotes I Have Used from #NCTE14) here and (Close Reading and the Little Ones – Chris Lehman, Kate Roberts and Kristi Mraz) here.
#NCTE15 (Vicki Vinton & Katie Wood Ray) here, (Kelly Gallagher’s Top 10) here, (Sessions – Colleen Cruz, Jennifer Serravallo, Clare & Tammy, #G2Great) here and (Involving Students – 2 #tcrwp sessions, Kylene Beers, Bob Probst, Donalyn Miller, Seymour Simon, Linda Hoyt, Kelly Boswell and more) here.
And how do you reflect and review your learning?
How do you know you are growing?
#SOL15: Revisiting #OLW15
My #OneLittleWord15 was focus. It’s reckoning time as 2015 nears the end.
How did I do?
Focus on Family:
My grandson
now seven months old
with just the cutest grin!
The center of our Christmas Celebrations!
Who is the center of YOUR conversations?
Focus on Friends:
Near and far
At TCRWP Spring Saturday Reunion
At TCRWP Writing Institute
At TCRWP Reading Institute
At ILA15
At Iowa ASCD with Lester Laminack
At TCRWP Fall Saturday Reunion
At NCTE15
On Twitter with #TCRWP, #G2Great, and #WRRD
On Voxer
And on Slicers, Too!
Can you find yourself?
Focus on Reading:
- New Units of Study in Reading
- Mindset for Learning: Teaching the Traits of Joyful, Independent Growth
- Reading Nonfiction: Notice & Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies
- Amplify: Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom
- The Construction Zone: Building Scaffolds for Readers and Writers
- The Common Core Companion: Booster Lessons, Grades 3-5: Elevating Instruction Day by Day
- Good to Great Teaching: Focusing on the Literacy Work that Matters
- Read Write Teach: Choice and Challenge in the Reading-Writing Workshop
- The Teacher You Want to Be: Essays about Children, Learning, and Teaching
- In Defense of Read-Aloud: Sustaining Best Practice
- Readers Front and Center: Helping All Students Engage with Complex Text
- The Reading Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Readers
- What Readers Really Do: Teaching the Process of Meaning Making
- The Unstoppable Writing Teacher: Real Strategies for Real Teachers
Which of these have you read?
Which of these are on your holiday TBR stack?
Focus on Writing:
About TCRWP Spring Saturday Reunion
About TCRWP Writing Institute
About TCRWP Reading Institute
About Reading
About ILA15
About Iowa ASCD with Lester Laminack
About TCRWP Fall Saturday Reunion
About NCTE15
Tweets about #TCRWP, #G2Great, and #WRRD (and all the above!)
And Slices with #TWT!
What have you written about?
A Focus on Focus:
Ever on my mind
Often changing to meet my purpose
Ever necessary
To complete my tasks
Sometimes a nagging worry
Other times a constant fear
. . . . Ever forward
Ever moving
Difficult to pin down
Growing –
Celebrating Learning!
What is your FOCUS?
How would we KNOW?
Tuesday is the day to share a “Slice of Life” with Two Writing Teachers. Thank you, Anna,Betsy,Beth, Dana, Deb, Kathleen, Stacey, and Tara. Check out the writers, readers andteachers here.
#SOL15: Oh, The Friends You Meet When The Places You Go!
What a pleasure to meet up face to face with friends during my learning journeys!
It’s summertime,
No time for flashy app,
No time for learning something new.
Time to chuckle,
Time to laugh,
Time to remember –
Our talk,
Our laughter,
Our fun.
Thank you,
Friends and Framily!
Tuesday is the day to share a “Slice of Life” with Two Writing Teachers. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
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