Slice of Life: The Face on the Floor

(This is for the Slice of Life challenge for March, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. We are writing each day about the small moments in the larger perspective … or is that the larger perspective in the smaller moments? You write, too.)

sol16One of the best things about Slice of Life (there are many, of course) is that writing about moments every single day focuses your attention on things otherwise forgotten or ignored. You are always on the look-out for something you missed.

I was walking down the school hallway yesterday morning, taking a break from an early morning of filling out report cards, when I saw a face that I see every day, and think: I should take a picture of that.

So, I did, knowing that I would be writing about it this morning. This Face on the fFloor, shaped by the construction of the floor tiles — and a chip in the tiles that has expanded into a sort of mouth — and the emergency door system, is just a wonderful surprise, and sometimes, I try to imagine what it is thinking all day long. (Heck, that just might be a Daily Create suggestion in the future).

Face in the Floor

The Face seems contemplative about the world around it, doesn’t it? Almost … amused. 

We all see the world in different ways and I never asked students, How many of you have noticed the Face in the Floor? They pass over it and by it a dozen times a day. They are more likely to be chatting with friends, or thinking of lunch, or juggling books and binders, or looking at the artwork on the walls.

This might be a good writing prompt in my classroom …

Peace (on all of our faces),
Kevin

9 Comments
  1. I love it! I think it would make a great question to pose for writing. It would be cool to put it together as a collection of stories to see how one thing inspires many different ideas. It’s taken me a few days this March to get into a writing groove but feel it happening now… Hope it lasts!

  2. I love how you stopped to document it! It is so true that we pass things all the time and have these fleeting thoughts, but when we slow down and reflect –creativity hits. I too love living a life wondering if this could “be a slice.” Makes everything more interesting and more thought provoking. I would love to hear what the students do with it.
    Clare

  3. I’d love to see how they work the bemused look of the floor into stories about gossip overheard or general misbehavior.

  4. I had to read this, because I see faces on the floor, too…and in patterns on rugs, and wood paneling. After your prompt on The Face on the Floor, you could ask students to do a photographic essay of another face they find!

  5. This is a great reminder to be observant. I love the video of you walking and how you see it as you approach it. Would be fun to do a point of view piece. What is the face’s perspective as students drop their books on him or walk with sticky shoes.

  6. I love funny, quirky things like this. I see faces and pictures in things all over the place. I’m glad to know there are lots of people out there who also see them.

  7. Last year I taught a class of 2nd graders who were different thinkers for sure. They were constantly seeing faces in parts of our room. We documented it on our class blog. I love this.

  8. Such a great reminder to be observant of our world. I also love the SOL challenge as others have said because it makes us slow down and be observant. And yes, I agree this would be a great suggestion for writing with a group of students.

  9. I really enjoyed your slice, especially that you grew it from an imagined face on the floor. That is noticing the small, insignificant parts of the world and bringing them to life! The face really had a personality by the time I finished your piece. It reminded me of Tom Hanks with Wilson in Cast Away.

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