Impose Your Will

Celebrate Poetry

 

 In Reading Workshop we are celebrating National Poetry Month. Students are reading and writing poems. Many will be shared on their blogs. Today's poems are inspired by Donald Graves from his book, Baseball, Snakes, and Summer Squash. These poems tell of the trials of growing up.

These Amazing Kids

I have sat and watched sixth grade students take tests this week. All I can say is that I am amazed. The work ethic and effort I have witnessed is unbelievable. Students gave everything they had to do their best. As a teacher it is humbling to see such effort. I am so glad to have had the chance to spend the year in language arts with these students.

The MAP Test measures students' growth throughout the school year and the scores were through the roof. Students took the first MAP test in September. It projected a score that they should achieve by the end of the year. Over 92% of the Reading Workshop students exceeded the projected score and most were much higher than projected.

If I was in charge of schools, I would put an immediate end to testing. I know it serves a purpose, but there are better ways to evaluate students, teachers, and schools. Unfortunately, testing controls education today. I guess this points even more towards what a remarkable event I witnessed this week. 

No one in schools likes testing, and especially not students. Considering this, the drive and determination I watched this week will be something I will remember always. And even more important, this strength of character will lead these students to unimagined successes down the road.

Great job Reading Workshop students!

Spoken Word Poetry

Ms. Woerner shared this video today in Reading Workshop. Taken from the famous basketball movie, Coach Carter, it has an excellent example of Spoken Poetry.

Timo Cruz:

Our deepest fear
is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
that most frightens us.
Your playing small
does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened
about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We were all meant to shine
as children do.
It's not just in some of us;
it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously
give other people permission
to do the same.
As we are liberated
from our own fear,
our presence automatically
liberates others.

Bad Poem

This poem is from the book Seeing the Blue Between available HERE.

Here's a Few Poem Titles

Weird Students

Mismatched Socks
Riding Vader (My Horse)
I Ate Too Much Chocolate
Cheesy Biscuits and Garlic Breath
Hard Workers
Eli is Not So Shy Any More
Just Plain Megan
Cafeteria Noise
Why Do You Make Me Have to be Mean?
The General aka Mrs. Hardin
Frank the Tank (Kaminsky)
Frank Gets Class
Rainy School Days
Zoom aka Carter
Zoom Thinks He's a Super Hero
The Last Class Was Boring
It Was All My Fault
I was Boring
We Were Still Asleep
Last Night I Had Bad Dreams
Why Does Tacey Work So Hard?
Distracting Class
Off Topic
Writing
World Hunt
I Hate to Lose
My Truck Got Washed Today
I Want to Cry
Not
720 Classes in a Year
My Heart's a Stereo
I Want to Be the Next American Idol
Everybody Now, Slide to the Left
Courage Enough to Write
My Diet Starts Next Monday
Grandma Has Gas
Talk Less, Write More
Afraid of Poetry
Dreams, Desire, Dedication, and Dish Washing
My Chucks Have Blue Shoestrings
Whining Instead of Working
Flo Rider (I Cry)
Music Makes Me Think
Are We Going to Sing Today and Other Questions Students Ask Every Day
Can I Go to the Bathroom?
How Many Topics Should I List?
Is This OK?
Allison Got Her Name on the Sign
Seriously, Aren't you a Little Sick of Cats Because I Am
Alexis, Allison, and Ashton
Earn a Brave Buck
A Little Less Cry and a Lot More Effort
My Sense of Humor is Underappreciated
Nose Pickers
Eddie's Hair
Take a Load Off Fannie
Morning Announcements
It's For not Fur
Red Card
You Can't Have My List
I Wonder What You Don't Know That I Don't Know
A Spot in Time and It's Not a Dalmation
Spaghetti Face
I Hate Sporks

Image from www.mycutegraphics.com

Dentist and the Crocodile

Dentist and the Crocodile 

by Roald Dahl

The crocodile, with cunning smile, 
sat in the dentist's chair.
He said, "Right here and everywhere 
my teeth require repair."
The dentist's face was turning white. 
He quivered, quaked and shook.
He muttered, "I suppose I'm going t
o have to take a look."
"I want you," Crocodile declared,
 "to do the back ones first.
The molars at the very back are easily the worst."
He opened wide his massive jaws. It was a fearsome sight––
At least three hundred pointed teeth, all sharp and shining white.
The dentist kept himself well clear. He stood two yards away.
He chose the longest probe he had to search out the decay.
"I said to do the back ones first!" the Crocodile called out.
"You're much too far away, dear sir, to see what you're about.
To do the back ones properly you've got to put your head
Deep down inside my great big mouth," the grinning Crocky said.
The poor old dentist wrung his hands and, weeping in despair,
He cried, "No no! I see them all extremely well from here!"
Just then, in burst a lady, in her hands a golden chain.
She cried, "Oh Croc, you naughty boy, you're playing tricks again!"
"Watch out!" the dentist shrieked and started climbing up the wall.
"He's after me! He's after you! He's going to eat us all!"
"Don't be a twit," the lady said, and flashed a gorgeous smile.
"He's harmless. He's my little pet, my lovely crocodile."

The book, Poetry Speaks to Children contains this poem and is available HERE.

See the Good

 

Image from @marcandangel

Just for a Smile

Image from @TheFunnyWorld