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| Bryant Webster Dual Language ECE-8, where I really teach |
So tonight I am feeling like a total cheater pants. My plan was to take 30 published poems, write off of them myself and then use them with my students. I have a list of poems. But then this week, I remembered that some of my favorite poem books are in my classroom at school. And I found some of them online, and then some other poems. This morning, I was having a hard time writing off of any of them. I gave myself an hour. I read one of my favorite poetry mentors,
Mary Lee Hahn, and watched
Liz Garton Scanlon's video, that had inspired Mary Lee's poem. Finally, I gave up and moved onto other things, namely trying to plan for the next six weeks, and transform my family room into a place that could do double duty as a classroom. I also helped other people plan, because half of my job is coaching. Mid day, I heard that we weren't going back to our physical building this year and my thoughts became even more divided. Tonight, Mary Lee's double cinquain became my mentor poem. And here is the best I could do.
Let Remote Learning Commence
next week
fifty-seven
sixth graders arrive in
my messy cluttered family room
welcome
come in.
read, write, rest, dream
print's power can transport you
to place of new wisdom and peace
dwell there
Carol Wilcox
(c) April, 2020
I always find your process notes so fascinating. Will you be able to get back into the building at all to gather books and supplies? I've seen some teachers on FB and Twitter allowed 15 minutes in their classroom before remote learning starts. Your poem here offers such a warm invitation to join you in your home space and find new places of comfort through reading and writing. The word "dwell" worked especially well, I thought, to evoke that sense of peace and calm.
ReplyDeleteI am honored to inspire you...ALWAYS. We're in this TOGETHER.
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