Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life March Challenge
Poetry Friday round-up is with Laura at Writing the World for Kids.
This month’s Ditty Challenge on Michelle Barnes’ site is from Nikki Grimes. Nikki Grimes has made the golden shovel an infamous poetry form. I shared her book, One Last Word, with my students. Michelle worked with boys in a juvenile detention center. She posted Lil Fijjii’s poem blurred lines. This poem spoke to my students. They could relate to the strong emotion. To write golden shovel poems, each student chose a line to respond to. At first Faith placed her head in her hands. “This is too hard. I can’t do it.” I set the timer and said, “Just give it a shot.”
My students were pleased with the results. I’ve posted them on Michelle’s padlet. Scroll for Students from Mrs. Simon’s Class.
Spring is in the air here in South Louisiana and no one wants to stay inside, so I took my kids out for a chalkabration. View their poems in this slide show.
Reflections on the Teche 
What a poetry delight!!!
Yay for chalk poems! And for you encouraging reluctant students to just try it… yes, it’s hard! But we just make it harder sometimes by digging our heels in. What’s the worst that can happen? Thank you! xo
I was SO EXCITED to read your student’s poems on the padlet, Margaret! This is a challenge I’ve really struggled with. To hear these young voices ring out so clearly is truly inspiring. They’ve done Lil Fijjii proud.
Oops! **students’ poems** Naughty me for leaving such a careless grammar mistake on a teacher’s blog!
They loved doing it as if they knew him and wanted to honor him.
Thanks for this chock-full- of rich poems Margaret, your students did a magnificent and moving job with the golden shovel poems! What deep poets and thinkers they are. The chalk poems are refreshing and joyful!
Love the chalk poems. So much fun on a spring day. Your students are lucky to have you around.
Wow! You undertook golden shovels with your students. I love that–so ambitious. Their strong feelings and doubts and fears and voices really came through.
One of my students didn’t really quite get the instructions and he wrote the words at the beginning of the lines. What would that be called?
I hope you are saving these students’ work for a “huge” anthology at year’s end, Margaret. They are terrific! And I love that you gave them the challenge of the Golden Shovel. wow!
I am so impressed with your students’ shovel poems. Their voices are so strong and clear. Awesome!
OH! chalk poems – how perfect. Once the snow melts here, I may have to give this idea a try. Honestly, I feel like elementary teachers’ practices are going to be the making of my high school classroom.
Not only are the students’ poems impressive, but the fact they they accepted and fulfilled the challenge is inspiring itself!
Nice contrast between the heaviness of the golden shovels and the lightness of the chalkabration. Two sides of the same coin.
It is always so wonderful to read your students’ work, Margaret. You always give them guidance on challenges and they seem to rise to each occasion.
I love all your students’ poems, but I think the hula hoop poem is my favorite!
So much beauty in your students’ poems, Margaret. I am amazed at the level of retrospection in their pieces. Austin’s poem..so creative with how he weaved the snake in.
I want to be in your class, Margaret!
I can relate to your student with her head in her hands. That’s pretty much how I felt when I first attempted a Golden Shovel poem, but I, too, gave it a shot. Your students inspire me with their thoughtfulness in their poems. Now I need to get busy and write a poem for this month’s challenge.
I love your outpouring of poetry and color.