Where did I read that we should be teaching living poets in our classrooms? I try to include poetry every day. This is a goal, but some days, as you well know, don’t go as planned. I’ve made a Google Slide Show for a Poem-a-Day, so I have a place to save poems I want to explore with my students. When I announced yesterday that we had time for poetry, my students were excited. I love this about elementary gifted kids!
First we read the poem through. Then I ask, “What do you notice?” I ask my students to notice 3 things about the poem. Using annotation on the smart board, I underline what they see and if they don’t, I name them.
I presented Danusha Lameris’s Small Kindness. I invited my students to write. They could borrow a line, make a list poem of small kindnesses, or write about their own topic using free verse.
I’ve long held the belief that I should write alongside my students. I also welcome their critique. Usually they just say, “I like it.” Then I know we need to work on how to offer critique with specifics such as “I like the way you used personification or metaphor or rhyme.” Naming the specific poetic elements.
Yesterday I was surprised when a student actually said, “I think it’s too clumped up.” As I questioned him further about what he meant, I realized that I read it like a paragraph, no line breaks. Danusha Lameris’s poem uses enjambment masterfully. She understands line breaks. It is definitely a skill I want to work on, and this student nailed it.
So I worked on it, revised, and will share today the current working draft.
Small Kindness
after Danusha Lameris
I’ve been thinking about the way
when I open a car door, and a little kinder kid jumps out,
how the driver says, “Thank you.”How on the way to school, a white suburban slowed
to let me merge ahead.
How cinnamon bread, a gift from my neighbor
fills the kitchen with sweetness.I want to believe everyone
is kind and thoughtful. I want to find gracein the corner of the parking lot
Margaret Simon, draft
waiting for me to notice her.
Reflections on the Teche 
Your descriptions of teaching make me wish for a certain kind of “do-over”, although I felt much reward and passion in my other career as a social worker. I simply love to read these stories of inspiring teaching.
….and love the details of this “show” of kindnesses…
Just wonderful in all ways. I love your poem and your linebreaks. It made it easy for me to read it with love in my voice. And looking for grace. I have to read the mentor poem but for sure your poem struck me in the heart. I love hearing how you use poetry with the students. I always (once I started using poetry as the heart of my classroom) emphasized the poets, shared about them if and however I could. We always said their name when we would read or recite their poem. Like: Frog by Mary Ann Hoberman so she became like a friend to them because they loved her poem, then I would find one of her anthologies and they would be curious. It was wonderful seeing them love poetry. I don’t think it was exactly my approach but it was the way I let poetry live for them as something wonderful, attainable as a reader and as a beginning poet, something that could reach you in so many ways. Then committing the poems to heart with no pressure, test, homework or requirement to participate (they always all did), no memorizing on their own and performing……it was a blessing. I found it so late in my career but I made it be alive for at least 7 years in my room and then I volunteered and did a version of it for 3 years in her class. What I learned about the value of poetry for educating and enthralling children (mine were 3rd grade then, but when I later subbed, the 4th and 5th graders would want to do some poetry if the schedule allowed) was heart-warming to me. And I never forced the learning on them, they took to it like ducks to water, learned poems by heart as easily as breathing and later, along with my word work approach and being immersed in language and poetry, their writing was pretty wonderful. I wish I could capture this in a book. I have tried, and have much written, I just need to do it!! You inspire me as always, Margaret. I have been away but hope to return to Photo poetry and Poetry Friday more. Much love and respect to you.
I’ve thought about a book too. But Amy LV wrote a really good one. So I use it often. My gifted kids love learning all the vocabulary such as enjambment and onomatopoeia. Thanks for reading.
Margaret, I want to be in your class. I wish EVERY teacher used poetry and opened class with the invitation to write and to notice things. What a lovely poem, too – – the idea of grace waiting to be discovered is touching and hopeful. What a powerful reminder for me to be kind and considerate whether I’m in a parking lot or in a meeting. That cinnamon bread…..oh, what a warming feeling, full of comfort and hygge feels for the season. It makes me want to pour a cup of coffee and sit down with a friend and talk about life.
Thanks. I wish we could have coffee. I appreciate your response and friendship.
Thank you for taking me inside your writing workshop and for teaching me the word enjambment. How did I go so long not knowing it? Your Small Kindness draft is very strong. I see it being published soon.
Margaret, I so love the play on the idea of “teaching living poets.” You have poets you are teaching every day in school, and so well, I might add. I love this so much and that they are learning to critique each other and you. I love what you did to your poem–the enjambment, especially in the last stanza. “I want to find grace…” and then on to the last two lines. Great metaphor there too, about grace. I want to find/notice her too.
Thank you. I feel blessed to be back with my students. They are a gift to me everyday.