Laura Purdie Salas is hosting today’s round up.
I have been thinking lately about what makes magic happen in writing workshop. I’m not sure, but I do know that my students feel like they are writers. This year I have a single third grader in my gifted group. She is pretty capable of doing what all the older kids are doing. But the other day, on a whim, she brought me this poem she had written. She glowed. She was so proud of it. I don’t know where it came from. It was not any prompt we had talked about. She explained to me that it just came to her. Maybe it was a stroke of genius. Or maybe it was a classroom atmosphere of poetry appreciation and writing freedom. Whatever it is and wherever the inspiration came from, I know enough to celebrate this lovely poem today on Poetry Friday.
Red petals flying with the wind.
O such grace dancing through the wind.
Sparkling shimmering as the sun joins you.
Even at night you’re dancing in the moon light.
–Erin
You can leave comments directly to Erin, aka Pegasus Lover, on our kidblog site.
Reflections on the Teche 
Awesome.
Some kids are born poets–and don’t lose that sensibility when school takes over. Then self-consciousness sets in, and they USE it to be not just born poets but conscious poets. Go Erin. May all 3rd grade teachers use this juxtaposed with “Roses are red…” to teach the difference between thoughtless and thoughtful verse.
Hi, Margaret. Erin’s poem isn’t just about the rose, but how the rose is made more beautiful by the nature that surrounds it: wind, sun, moonlight.
That was simply beautiful! Thanks for sharing, Margaret.
Lovely! Erin’s such a gifted writer. đŸ™‚
Gorgeous–love that she went to nighttime, too! And: “but I do know that my students feel like they are writers”–YOU are creating magic.
Thanks, Laura. Your site helps, a wonderful mentor.
Oh to have such grace dancing in your classroom! Thanks for sharing Erin’s words.
A rose by any other name…Fabulous poem, Erin! And thanks for sharing, Margaret! =)
I love “the sun joins you.” Joins. That’s completely different from shines down on you.
Thanks for pointing that out. I will pass this along to my students to help them understand the power of word choice.
Oh, how lovely! I can see why Erin was so proud of that poem!
Beautiful, Erin, and thank you for sharing, Margaret. It is a lovely response to the rose.
Margaret, I am sure that you guided this student to finding her voice to express the emotion inside. I sent Erin a comment.
Carol, I approved and edited your comment. Thanks for taking the time to comment to Erin. I can’t wait to show her on Monday.
Margaret, I love that you are nurturing writers who feel like writers in your classroom. I never felt that… well, not after first grade anyway.
It is sad to me that most classrooms do not nurture writing. Most teachers just don’t know how. And with all that is required, they cannot find the time. A teacher once told me she has 20 minutes for writing. Not much is happening in those 20 minutes. I once felt that the writing project (NWP) was changing things, but in our area funding has been cut and most Professional Development is on Common Core standards (writing to text.)
Lovely! I agree with this: “Or maybe it was a classroom atmosphere of poetry appreciation and writing freedom.” Powerful stuff, classroom atmosphere!
I agree. The classroom atmosphere is paramount to creativity.
Erin’s poem is beautiful, and I’m sure the nurturing environment you’ve created had a lot to do with where this poem came from. Thank you for sharing!