Today is the first Friday of April, of National Poetry Month. Please check out the progress of the Kidlit Progressive Poem with Patricia Franz. The journey to Poetry Land has begun and Patricia added a spice of alliteration. There are three days open at the end of the month. Please let me know in the comments or by email if you would like to participate.
Today I am supposed to be posting a poem alongside my Inklings prompted by Linda Mitchell. Ars Poetica which is poetry about poetry. I failed at the assignment because my week was full of teaching teens. Did I hear an audible sigh?
As a teaching artist, I want to accept whatever gigs come my way, but on Monday when I walked into the middle school where the secretary left me in a chemistry lab alone to prepare for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, I felt like I had been dropped back in time to my high school which, frankly, terrified me. Chemistry was not my best subject.
I made the decision to use a “higher level” lesson plan rather than read the picture book “How to Write a Poem” by Kwame Alexander. So not only did I feel strange in a strange land, I was trying to get teens to come up with symbols to match an emotion. They stared at me with their evil eyes that said, “You want me to do what?”
On Tuesday, after a wise lunch with some friends, I went back to my tried and true lesson plan that begins with “How to Write a Poem.” Things went much better. I told Azul that I would share his poem and painting on my blog. He was beaming! Even eighth graders just want to be seen.
When I was wandering around the room during writing time, Azul had not written anything. He had a title because I asked them to write a title for each of their paintings. But he just couldn’t get started. I whispered to him, “Start with the word imagine.” He was too shy to read it out loud, so I asked if I could read it. He agreed, and his pride was palpable when I read with confidence and expression.
Sometimes when we teach in a foreign land, we have to take the small wins. Not every teen got a poem they were proud of. One boy handed me his paintings and poem and said, “What do I do with these?”
I said, “Take them home!” In my singsong elementary teacher voice.
He said, “I’m embarrassed.”
“Then I will take them! Thank you for sharing!”
On the third day of my work with middle schoolers, I drove home by way of a rookery on Jefferson Island.
I watched the egrets and roseate spoonbills swoop in and out of their nests, listened to croaking frogs, and was eyed by two small alligators. I wrote this poem in my car before heading home.
After the School Visit
I went to pray in the rookery
to breathe
to leave the scratchy spunk
of teens resisting
to just be with God
There I found praise
praise for the awkward ones
hiding their paper from my onlooking eyes
their fear of failure like an odor on their skin.
I sigh and realize their prize
was recognized after the teaching artist left
as they shared their paintings and poems
walking back to class.
I stand in the field of dragonflies
and watch egrets rise.
Margaret Simon (draft)
Reflections on the Teche 
Always nice to see what students come up with, when they are allowed to be free with their thoughts, And nice to see what we come up with, too!
[…] to be outdone, Margaret at Reflections on the Teche also shares a student poem – and one of her own […]
Azul is a creative soul! Just imagine the things he will do, and you set his imagination in motion!
They stared at me with their evil eyes that said, “You want me to do what?” This is an amazing line.
I would have wanted to spend time in the field of dragonflies as well. What a perfect way to end the day.
Wow, Margaret, so powerful. I love this truth: “As a teaching artist, I want to accept whatever gigs come my way…” Scratchy, embarrassed, awkward, evil-eyed…and yet, they all just want to be seen. You have shared so much wisdom here. And the trip to the rookery where you were able to commune with God and nature and even appreciate the teens was a great way to end the day.
Margaret, teens are interesting students who need lesson sparks to get them in the right place of mixing imagination and knowledge. It is good that you were able to make Azul feel proud of himself. From working with students of all ages and grades, I find the middle grade youngsters needing more tender teacher love and support. Your ending lines share your joy.
But Margaret, this whole post IS ars poetica! You helped teens find poems and art where none existed before.
It was such fun reading your post. I love “Imagine” by Azul. And I absolutely love your “After the School Visit” poem; it speaks to me so personally. See, your high school experiences remind me of some of my HS gigs. I’d been hired to raise ELA test scores with several HS; I’m an elementary teacher… enough said for now. Once, for a two-day workshop, I was put in the science lab. Lab tables are meant for science. Giant-sized insects hung low over our heads. Specimens instead of books were on the shelves. Maybe I’ve found a slice for TWT Tuesday.
Oh yes I can relate. There was a snake in a jar inside the cabinet. Not my idea of a relaxed atmosphere!
Middle school is indeed a foreign land! I’m still finding my way after almost three years. As you discovered, though, there are hidden depths behind those eyes (which really aren’t evil, just skeptical). Your rookery visit sounds magical!