Slice of Life Day One: Student Snapshot

For the next month, I am committing again to writing a Slice of Life blog post each day. This is my 2nd time participating in the challenge. Last year, I wrote 28 of 31 slices. Hoping to beat that total this year, even if I may not make all 31!

Today I want to share a student snapshot. I'd like to tell you about O. 

O was in my best friend's reading and writing workshop last year as a 7th grader, and I heard so many stories about this girl. I knew I had to teach her. 

Now, when she was in 7th grade, O was quite a pistol, calling my friend the most random of names, having no idea of what kind of reading she wanted to do, abandoning books with wanton joy, and lying about finishing when she would really abandon every single book she picked up. My first experience with seeing her in action was on a day when my friend's classes were doing a video chat with Nic Stone, and my class was invited to join in for a few minutes. O was so overjoyed at being able to speak in person with her favorite author, she was in tears. After the call was over, I watched her hug my friend with so much enthusiasm she knocked him over into the file cabinet. I heard many more stories as the year drew to a close, about her tremendous growth as a reader and especially as a writer after a rocky start in 7th grade. 

Fast forward to 8th grade. O is still rambunctious, sometimes goofy, apt to get caught up in silly drama, and to call me fourteen wrong names before she finally gets mine right (I call her "Ginger" in retaliation). But she is also a passionate reader. She is a warrior for social justice. And she is, above all else, a writer. 

Most days in reading/ writing workshop, she is calm and focused. She finishes books and has reached a point where she doesn't need me to find books that she loves. She has started writing a book, which she shared with me to seek feedback. She writes poetry that flows naturally. O will have a future in spoken word, and I cannot wait to see what she will do as we start our spoken word poetry study this month. 

I'm sure she'd like me to tell you that she read 144 pages this week (since Monday). 

She might also like me to tell you that I let her write in "her voice." (As she says, her "for real for real voice.")

She might like me to tell you that I got choked up watching her dance and rap on the dance floor while we were on a field trip in DC (because I think she is crazy talented).

And she'd definitely like me to tell you that she gives the BEST hugs, even if they squeeze the breath right out of you (and sometimes knock you into the filing cabinet).