This week was Wonder Week in my classroom as we explored Welcome to the Wonder House by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Georgia Heard. Each day I let a student choose which “room” we would visit. In this book, there are rooms you would not expect to find: The Room of Ordinary Things, The Room of Imagination, The Room of Wishes. Each page contains poems by Rebecca and Georgia. Each poem invites the reader to think, feel, wonder.
After I read aloud the poems, we notice things like structure, metaphor, imagery. Then they write in their notebooks.
Georgia talks about creating a space for poetry every day. It doesn’t have to take long. I believe in the power of poetry to teach, but also to inspire and somehow settle into you and become part of you.
I write alongside my students every day. We’ve been using markers, colored pencils, washi tape to make our pages pop and please us. Here is a page of my own notebook.
Our notebooking is not perfection which is something I model. Some pages are messy. Some pages do not come out like we want them to, but the practice of playing with poetry, following a line, stealing a metaphor, making an acrostic from a single word, satisfies the imagination and fills the soul.
If you are interested in participating in the Kidlit Progressive Poem in the month of April, the sign up is here.
I love the idea of a place for poetry in every classroom – every day. I have tried to show my students, beginning teachers for the most part, the power of poetry. I model and try to provide a foundation for a creative moment of thinking deeply about a text…..wonderful ideas here
Thanks Anita. It is a powerful tool that is literally at our fingertips. And takes about 10 minutes.
Margaret, I loved seeing a page from your poetry reflection notebook. I will read a book and make a notebook page. You’ve inspired me to take both Georgia and your’s advice and make poetry a part of each day. I’ll let you know how it goes! Thanks for sharing and adding the photo, too.
Thanks Sally, I have really enjoyed playing along. Sometimes I even get real critique from them.
Margaret,
I think your notebook page is gorgeous. The book sounds inspiring. So many of my poems in the Stafford Challenge find inspiration in the poetry I’m reading. I wish more teachers brought poetry into class as a routine and not as an April only unit.
Glenda, many teachers just have so little exposure to poetry. Many of them are not familiar with any poets beyond Shel Silverstein.
This looks like a beautiful book full of imagination! Perfect for kids and adults. I love how you share your notebook and the idea of sending a wish on a leaf!
Thanks. I hesitate because these poems are such rough drafts, but I like the playfulness and lack of perfection.
What a wonderful post – and I just mentioned you in my blog today because of your wonderful sharing. This is exactly what I mean. You give me courage to share my own poetry. Thank you for sharing your process!
Having written about my room on Day One of the SOLSC, I am so intrigued by a book of “rooms one would not expect to find.” I cannot help recalling, in the moment, the Room of Requirement in the Harry Potter series, materializing when someone was in great need. Your mentor text is like this – providing fuel, encouragement, inspiration to the rest of us. We need it! Love the sharing of imperfection, for art – and craft – are messy. Refining is a process. Yet your notebook is beautiful, its page a very leaf like that of which you write, falling into us like poetry itself. One learns to think in poetry just as with learning another language. I love everything about this, Margaret – everything.
You reminded me that I bought this book, stashed it somewhere and never actually looked at it! Yikes! So, I am now thoroughly inspired to find it and do so. As always I’m also inspired by the peek into your classroom and your notebook!
I just read this to myself this week and was thinking about how to share it with children. I love how you model that a note book is not perfection.This gives kids permission to have messy imagination!
Thanks Margaret for the inspiration. I bought this book when it came out, but I haven’t yet used it with my students. I know I will be using it soon…
Margaret, I’m glad you share your quick writing journaling and poeming. With us and with your students. I like your washi tape kite, and your “fly, flutter, fall” in your poem.
I love how you play with your students with books and words and poetry. I am going to see if I can find this books to share with my Grandson and his mom. Looks like great fun and learning.
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