For the Christmas season, I have decorated my classroom doors (I service 2 schools) with a Christmas tree, but they’re not typical Christmas trees. They’re Grati-ku Poet-trees. Each day since Thanksgiving break, my students and I write a gratitude poem on a paper ornament.
We are reading daily Santa Clauses (a book of haiku written by the man himself) by Bob Raczka. These poems are inspirational to us and help us see the different ways to create a haiku poem. A complete sentence, a metaphor, a moment in time.
Japanese poems
by Avalyn, 3rd grade
Santa Claus inspiration
I write haiku, too.
Avalyn wanted to invite some teachers to write poems, too, so she asked the speech therapist whose classroom is adjacent to ours to play along. (She calls it a “haiku party”.) Kim wrote:
A burnt string of lights
By Kim Degeyter
one bulb out, they all go out.
To the store I go!
School spirit is everywhere this season as students and teachers participate in dress-up days. I wrote a grati-ku about this:
Reindeer headbands on
Margaret Simon
little girls’ heads bouncing down
Holiday hallway
You should join the fun. Write a grati-ku holiday inspired poem in the comments. I’d love to share them with my students.
Reflections on the Teche 