Slice of Life Day 21. Join the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge.
Poetry Friday Round-up is at The Drift Record
I am constantly amazed by my gifted students. They can process and learn at such a rapid rate. I love words. That’s no secret. They know it. So we often spend time talking about words.
Vannisa, a 4th grader, and I are reading A Snicker of Magic together. (Actually, she has passed me up.) I asked her to put some of the magical words on the board. She made a list including felicity, serendipity, paradigm, gargantuan, spendiddly, snicker-doodle, lickety-split. Aren’t these great words?
I pulled up a poem that Katie Muhtaris posted on her blog Coffee Fueled Musings to show her students how to use strong verbs. Her poem, Oreos, inspired Vannisa to write about cookies.
Chewy Cookies
Stretching for the red box it slumbers in,
peel off the wrapper
decant a glass of milk into the tall transparent cup.
Let the flow of white water dive into the pool of air.
Snatch a crispy golden cookie.
Devour the serendipity.
Taste the felicity of the snicker-doodle.–Vannisa, age 10
Matthew, otherwise known as Magic Matt on our class blog, took a break from his magic tricks to write a poem. He didn’t know it was good. He told me, “Don’t post this anyWHERE.” Then I read it and said, “Wow!”
Matt said, “Mrs. Simon, did you just say Wow about one of my poems?”
I think you will say Wow! too.
Felicity
Felicity fills my soul,
warming my heart like a gargantuan fire.
Isolated mountains dot the Earth
like looking through a kaleidoscope.
A paradigm of God’s grandest creation meeting reality.–Matthew, age 10
Reflections on the Teche 
I am very impressed by your two poets – they must have a wonderful teacher! 😉 I loved Snicker and all of the great words too. It is one of those books that needs to be read more than once just to savor the writing.
It’s comforting to know that poetry’s torch is being passed on to such capable hands!
Age 10 and writing like this already! Wow – such talent! I hope they love poetry (and write it) their whole lives long.
Wow is right! Wonderful poets at such an early age!
I am saying wow, too – such talented kids!
Wow!!!! I’m so proud of both of them! Matthew, you blew me away with your wonderful poem! I’m so glad Mrs. Simon decided to post it!
Wow, Matthew is one reflective young boy. And Vannisa’s poem makes me want to eat the words up! Such lovely students.
Dear Matt,
Wow. (See, Mrs. Gibson isn’t the only one!)
Dear Vanissa,
I’m drooling for a snicker-doodle, thanks to your evocative words!
I love how much you love and appreciate your students. As the parent of a gifted 4th grader, I can say that we have not always been so lucky. I hope they all know how amazing you are!
I love this!