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A Sampling of Student's Slice of Life Stories

Yesterday I blogged about how students were resisting the Slice of Life Story Challenge this month. Today, after a full day at the #innovategraded conference in Sao Paulo, I opened up their Google docs and discovered a treasure trove of amazing slices. Please respond in the comments. I know my students would really appreciate that!

Slice #1 - Go eat dinner
“Wendy, dinner is ready!” Mom yelled out.
“OK. I’m coming, just one little piece to work.” 
I don’t want to miss the thing.
“Well, be faster.” Then, she turned to do her “job”.
Finally I finished, but I don’t want to move my poor body anymore. I’m like a snail moving so slowly. My legs are like full of the iron so I couldn't move it, but still I get into the dining room and get ready to have my dinner.

Slice # 2 - Selling and Buying
My dad and I were eating dinner when suddenly he proposes that our family sells our house in Houston and buy a different one. I said, “OK...How about we get the new house in California?” Then, my mom replied, “Yes! But, not L.A. How about San Diego?“ “Ooh, or maybe San Francisco!” I replied. But in the end my dad said, “I think we’ll just keep it in Texas.”

Slice #3
Today we went to a school called Einstein for an orchestra practice. The orchestra rode on a loud bus until finally we got there and tried to play the song we have been practicing for weeks. It’s a crazy mash up of different songs like Bullfight. 

I got ready to play. I took a deep breath and looked over at S, the only other cello player. One, two, three. One two, three. I tapped my foot along with my mental counting. After all I was just practicing. "NOW!" I thought. My bow made a soft movement on the string. SNAP! Went my string. Well, it wasn't the first time.

Slice #4 
Life is like basketball you pass by people and also people hurt you. I like basketball because it helps me take out stress. I get in the zone and forget the world around me like I’m somewhere else. Like also the feeling of the ball brushing my fingertips and I dribble. I like the wind blowing in my hair.

Slice #5 
“For the first 20 minutes you’ll do independent reading,” the substitute for our absent teacher said. “And then we’ll go down to the computer lab to do you reading MAP testing.” The whole class gasped. We weren't notified of this test. Several people groaned.
            
MAP testing is a test all middle school students do at the beginning and middle of the year. There were two tests - math and reading. I liked the math one better because it was just easier for me.
            
When it was time for the test, I focused really hard and blocked out the sounds of chairs squeaking. I started to get a rhythm in my mind: to read the passage, look at the answers, and click on an answer. Read, look, click….Read, look, click….
            
Finally I was done, and I have to say that I was pretty impressed and pleased about my score. It was above average. I clicked done and enjoyed the last few minutes of class reading The Maze Runner.

 Slice #6
I bounced on the seat as the car drove. My music was bursting in my ears, but that’s how I liked it. As I was looking through my phone to pick a new song, because I didn't want to listen to another Fall Out Boy song, I noticed I had three unread text messages. Then I saw the people who sent them. All people from New Jersey. "Wow," I thought. "I haven’t texted these people in a long time. Might as well text them." I responded to all three people and then decided to also text three more. I turned off my phone and sat listening to my music, Sarcasm by Get Scared. After a while someone responded. It was Mary Louise, one of the people who didn't text me first.
“Hey,” she replied.
“How life in NJ?” I asked.
“Snowing now.”
Although the conversation started boring it became more interesting. Then someone else responded, Sasha. Sasha was one of my closest friends in New Jersey. She was the first friend I made when I moved to New Jersey.
“HIIIII” she replied.
“Dude it’s March 3rd. I’m coming March 27th,” I answered excitedly.
“ya. IKKKKK”
“Sooooo excited!!!!!”
“Me tooooooo!!”
As we kept talking we came to new topics and discussed many different things. I was so happy to be able to talk with my old friends.

 Slice #7
Today I was going outside of Ms. Milla`s class and I found Pardo playing el burrito. I said, “Pardo, let's play." “Yes,” he screamed happily. Then, we were passing the ball until they threw it right into my nose. Plack!!!!!! It sounded.  I heard people laughing. Hahahaha, it doesn't hurt a lot. Then, Mr. Muenker said, “David, I think you should`t stop it like that," and I hear more laughter.
Slice #8 - The Accident
I was running. My eye was on the ball. I could see how it went up in the sky. I jumped to get it, but I didn't feel the ball hitting my head. I felt as if a rock had collapsed in the right side of my forehead. “I feel bad coach,” I said. He looked impressed. “We need to go to the nurse,” he exclaimed. Then, when I looked in the mirror I saw two big balls on my forehead.

 Cross posted to Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life, March Classroom Challenge, Day #4
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