I've decided to share the poem that has been on my door, since my first year of teaching, with my students this morning. It's by Jeff Moss and is called "On the Other Side of the Door." I love, LOVE, L-O-V-E this poem for so many reasons. First, it lets kids know that they'll be safe… Continue reading First Day of School Poem for 2008-09 School Year
Category: poetry
Poetry Friday: An Acrostic Poem About Labor Day
I was looking around for a poem about Labor Day on this final summer Friday. (I know, I know… summer goes through mid-September. However, this is the weekend that always feels like the last weekend of summer to me.) I found an acrostic poem by Nicholas Gordon that captures the mood and feeling that I… Continue reading Poetry Friday: An Acrostic Poem About Labor Day
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Poetry Friday: Writer’s Notebook
Here's a poem from Ralph Fletcher's book, A Writing Kind of Day. Writer's Notebooks My brother Tom says he's a hundredaire with two hundred fifty dollars in his bank account. Dad's a thousandaire. I gave baby Julia two pennies so now she's a pennyaire. When I look at Julia her little bald head reminds me… Continue reading Poetry Friday: Writer’s Notebook
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Poems for Kids’ Birthdays
I was on two home visits yesterday. At the first one, the little girl asked me, "Do you know when my birthday is?" I sure did! I knew it because I already put all of my students' contact information into Outlook, which I syched to my iTouch. However, when I realized that I have four… Continue reading Poems for Kids’ Birthdays
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Online Poetry Class (Stanford University)
A few months ago Kirsten Andersen who is a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University visited my classroom. She sat with my students and conferred with them about their poetry. She spent an extraordinary amount of time with my students truly listening to what they had to say about their writing. Even though she was only… Continue reading Online Poetry Class (Stanford University)
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P.F.: Farjeon
When I looked at my to-do list for today, a Summer Friday, a day I am not working, I realized that it's too ambitious and unrealistic. Hence, this poem from Eleanor Farjeon: There Isn't Time! There isn't time, there isn't time To do the things I want to do, With all the mountain-tops to climb,… Continue reading P.F.: Farjeon
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Poetry Friday: An Original Poem About the First Day of School (for a teacher)
When It's the First Day of School When it's the first day of school, I'll wake up before my alarm clock buzzes. When it's the first day of school, I'll bounce out of bed instead of slamming-down on the snooze bar. When it's the first day of school, I'll remove the tags from the new… Continue reading Poetry Friday: An Original Poem About the First Day of School (for a teacher)
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Stacey’s M.M. Post: Growing Up… Literally
(I'm using Ruth's "I Remember" Memoir Post from last week to help me set up my post today. I figured this would be a nice way to show how other teachers' writing can help inspire our own writing.) I remember learning that you were your tallest in the morning. I remember being measured every year… Continue reading Stacey’s M.M. Post: Growing Up… Literally
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A Lot of Slow to Grow.
I love Eve Merriam's work. Here is one of my favorites, which I will be sharing with the teachers attending the Beginning Workshop Training that starts Monday. A Lazy Thought By Eve Merriam There go the grownups To the office, To the store. Subway rush, Traffic crush; Hurry, scurry, Worry, flurry. No wonder Grown ups… Continue reading A Lot of Slow to Grow.
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The First P.F. of August
This poem was mentioned when Michelle commented on Ruth's Post, "Be a Writer," yesterday evening. Miracle Workers by Taylor Mali Sunday nights I lie awake— as all teachers do— and wait for sleep to come like the last student in my class to arrive. My grading is done, my lesson plans are in order, and… Continue reading The First P.F. of August
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Inspiring Words for the Inside of Students’ Writer’s Notebooks
For the past two years I've included "My Writer's Notebook/Diamond Search" by Brod Bagert inside of every student's writer's notebook. However, in addition to Barert's Poem this year, I'm also going to be putting some writerly advice inside of the kids' notebooks. These pieces of "advice," combined with the gift-wrapping of the notebooks, should make… Continue reading Inspiring Words for the Inside of Students’ Writer’s Notebooks
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Poetry Friday: An Hommage to My Co-Blogger’s Home State
The Official Poem of Indiana, which is written by Arthur Franklin Mapes: "Indiana" God crowned her hills with beauty, Gave her lakes and winding streams, Then He edged them all with woodlands As the settings for our dreams. Lovely are her moonlit rivers, Shadowed by the sycamores, Where the fragrant winds of summer Play along… Continue reading Poetry Friday: An Hommage to My Co-Blogger’s Home State
