Elisa Waingort

Tonight has a feeling of summer. Not because it’s hot. Because it isn’t. Not because it’s so light out and it’s already 7:00 pm. Although it is. Not because the skies are blue and it’s sunny. Not because it’s almost spring break. (Next week.) But because the air is still. Like it is in summer. Read more

I am grateful for the warm-for-Calgary-winter days we’ve been having. I’m grateful for all the books I’ve read and those I’ve yet to read. I’m grateful for my partner teacher who is always so kind and supportive. I am grateful for this community of slicers that comes together every week on Tuesdays and every day Read more

Today was the first day of table groups. Until now my students have been sitting in rows. They helped move their desks while I supervised. Then we made a couple of changes. There’s room to walk around now! And, I can have class meetings, read aloud and mini lessons at the front of the room. Read more

I spent most of yesterday and today reading. Yesterday I started reading Where I Belong (a YA novel) and finished it today. Not being able to put down a book because it was that good felt like coming home. I haven’t felt that way in a long time. I used to know that feeling well, Read more

I don’t know why I get nervous about parent-teacher conferences. They usually go well. My students’ families want to know if their child is doing well in school (if they’re happy, engaged, learning), and if something is not going well, they want to hear about that too. But they want suggestions. They want to know Read more

I just finished the first round of parent-teacher conferences. Tomorrow is the second day. We – parents and children- talked about what is going well and why, what’s not going well and why, and the children fleshed out their goals. I had one in-person conference and the rest were virtual; the same for tomorrow. Next Read more

Today’s slice is short, but maybe not so sweet. I teach. I read. I write. I love. I’m exhausted. Cross posted to the Two Writing Teachers March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Read more

I am taking a course through the University of Cambridge called The Fundamentals of Educational Dialogue. This is the second week of the course. The readings, videos and other resources for the first week were phenomenal. They support what I’ve previously read about classroom talk and go deeper. This evening, I met my research buddy. Read more

Note: I was inspired to write my autobiography by another slicer. (Sorry, but I can’t remember who that was, but thank you for the inspiration!) I was born in a small town in Cuba just 30 minutes from Varadero beach – the most beautiful beach in the world, IMHO. I’ve lived in the US, Canada Read more

I’m reading Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Talking to Strangers. This is not the first book of Gladwell’s I’ve read and it certainly won’t be the last. Gladwell is masterful at building an argument, even if at first it’s not easy to follow where he’s going. At least, that has been my experience. Gladwell claims that the Read more