I’ve had a wonderful week getting back into the classroom. I have some new students as well as the ones I taught last year. I teach gifted ELA pull out for two elementary schools. The hardest part of the job is packing up the cart and moving to the next school. Once I am there, though, all is right with the world. I am meant to be a teacher!
On Wednesday I led my kids through “This Photo Wants to be a Poem.” We use Fanschool and I place the same photo from my blog post to Fanschool. The kids write their own poems in the comment section. Two of my students who signed into gifted this week had never written a poem before. I find joy in the process. I think I spread that passion to them. Their responses were amazing.
This week was Ethical ELA’s Open Write. I wrote about one of my students in response to Barb’s prompt here. A comment from Kim Johnson gave me an idea for the ending metaphor. This is a wonderful community of teacher-writers. Join us in October, 21st-25th.
Volleyball Team
Last year in fourth grade
she would skip recess
awkwardly reading in a corner
of my classroom.Fifth grade offered a volleyball team.
She arrived with a brightly colored volleyball,
tossed it with confidence,
leaning on it while writing.“I’m on the volleyball team this year.”
We talked about the serve I could never master.
She showed me how it’s done now–
from the palm-up wrist rather than the thumb.A flower blooming
Margaret Simon, draft
through a crack in the concrete,
hoping to find its way
to shine on the court.
Reflections on the Teche 
Your students are very insightful! So glad you are called to teach!
Brava, wonderful Margaret. I’m wide
Brava! wonderful Margaret. I’m wide-smiles over this back-to-class, post. [With energy vibes for the cart pull, push, lift, work.] I’m shimmer-tickled to read that 2 of your pull-out students are new poem-makers, due to change-maker, YOU. Wishes for a Nature-filled smile-overflowing weekend!
Your response is a poem! Thanks.
Margaret, I’m so happy for you and your students now that you’re back! It’s fun to revisit Wednesday’s post through the eyes of your students! And two new ones too, joining right in as poets. Beautiful. I appreciate your new last stanza of your volleyball poem. Beautiful metaphor that leaves more to the imagination.
I think metaphor makes a poem better but the right one is not always easy to find. I admire poets who do it well.
Thank you for this joyous post, Margaret. So happy you are back with your students!
Margaret, You make me wish I still worked with students – especially gifted students – I miss them so! I love that your enthusiasm is contagious with them. I also learned from your post that volleyball is now served in a different way. I could never do it “right” either (the old way). I even tried to play as a young adult in a league – what a disaster that was! Anyway, I’m glad you’re back to work. I hope the joy you find in your students continues to help you to heal.
I’m so glad that you had a good week back, Margaret. Lovely students help, right? Your new ones obviously were so inspired. Their poems are wonderful, finding their own joy. And your poem, yes, the metaphor is thought-filled for your young one playing volleyball.
Margaret, it is a blessing that you are now back in the classroom enjoying your striving and thriving students after a long recovery. Being a teacher is a commitment of the heart. Your students have always bloomed under your tutelage so it is no wonder that 2 new students are poetry lovers. I enjoyed your students’ poems. I wonder if they and others would like to have a place on Destination: Summer’s Ending Padlet & Gallery? I am also in awe of your students’ abilities.
Send me an email. I need to make sure I’ve gotten permission.
Margaret, your poetry and your students’ poetry is beautiful! I’m so thankful you are back at school inspiring your students to write. Thank you for all you do to create writing opportunities for all of us.
Peace, my friend!
What creative students you have — they must have an excellent teacher! : )
Love your poem’s metaphorical ending with
“a flower blooming
through a crack” and then
“ shine on the court.”
Wonderful moonflower poems by your budding student poets too, thanks Margaret!
How wonderful! I’m so glad that you are back in the classroom feeling like yourself. These students and the moments of connection are what bring us back. I had a student fall in love with making zines and making little books and we chat daily. Little does the student know that they are restoring my teacherself.
Margaret, I’m so happy to hear you are back in class…which means health is/has returned. Yay! What a joy to share THIS PHOTO WANTS TO BE A POEM with children…and they flourished! I especially love John-Robert’s wonderment: “It’s a miracle really…”
Wow! Their poems are awesome!