Reflections on the Teche

Slice of Life: Readers’ Heart Maps

September 26, 2018 by margaretsmn

See more posts at Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life .

I’ve been a fan of using heart maps in my classroom for a while. At the beginning of the year, we made name heart maps. Later in the year, we may use a heart map to identify an interest area for a research project. This week, for the first time, I tried out readers’ heart maps. Georgia Heard’s book about heart maps offers many different styles. I tend to use the simple design. Plain white paper. Taco fold. Draw half a heart. Cut it out. Then glue in your journal.

Chloe decided to cut out three hearts. She made one with white paper. Then she asked if she could use colored paper. Then she made a blue one and a pink one. I suggested that she could layer them one on top of the other. She loved that idea. One heart became about her favorite book at home about Ariel. She’s a Dr. Seuss fan and made her blue heart about Dr. Seuss. On the big white heart, she chose herself and wrote one of her poems. Why not choose yourself as your favorite author?

Chloe’s layer of Reader’s Heart Maps.

Madison decided to fill her reader’s heart map with quotes from her favorite books. Her all time favorite quote comes from Percy Jackson, “I have become one with the plumbing.” She laughs out loud.

Madison’s reading heart map

I’ve been reading aloud Kate Dicamillo’s “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” so my reader’s heart map became about this book. Edward breaks my heart over and over again.

My reader’s heart is broken and healed by Edward Tulane.

I think making heart maps is a great way to honor your students’ individual choices in reading. They can express what they love to read in a reader’s heart map. We will come back to the heart maps to write about ourselves as readers. What would you make your reader’s heart map about?

Posted in Books, Slice of Life, Teaching, Writing | Tagged Georgia Heard, heart maps | 7 Comments »

Poetry Friday: I am a Silver-tongued Storyteller

September 21, 2018 by margaretsmn

I am in the process of planning a workshop for teachers for the Acadiana Center for the Arts to be held on October 11th. When I met with my teaching partner, artist Marla Kristicevich, we discussed creative ways a teacher/writer/student could respond to my poems in Bayou Song. I loved her idea of creating magazine collage. I wanted to give it a try myself and with my own students. The collages are as diverse as the students themselves.

From the collages, we then wrote an I am poem. For this, I offered sentence stems to get the ideas flowing. Today, I am posting one of my collages and poem along with Madison’s. Madison wanted to use a unique word, so we looked through what I call “the big whopping dictionary,” a two book set my daughter bought me at an antique store. Madison found the word reliquary, and we had a discussion about the metaphorical use of a river as a reliquary. I love what she did with her poem.

I am a silver-tongued storyteller.

I wonder where my path leads.
I echo laughter, tears, and songs.
I watch the sun, moon, and stars.
I call your name.

I am a silver-tongued storyteller.
I remember tales of old.
I nurture time and treasures.
I say the heart is true.
I hope you’ll hear my call.

Margaret Simon, (c) 2018

I am a Rambling River Reliquary

I wonder if I can ever turn back.
I echo the past.
I watch the present.
I call for the future.
I wind a wide bend.
I touch every memory.
I nurture your thoughts.
I want to never stop.
I remember the crashing thunder.
I say ” Swshhh, rrww! ”
I tell the wind my tales.
I hope I can find more.

Madison, 5th grade

Posted in Bayou Song, Creativity, Poetry, Poetry Friday, Writing | Tagged Acadiana Center for the Arts, art collage, I am poem | 12 Comments »

Slice of Life: Dot Zeno Zines

September 18, 2018 by margaretsmn

See more posts at Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life .

International Dot Day is one of my favorite days of the year. For years, I’ve celebrated with my students. This year I tried out a new activity for Dot Day, a Zeno Zine. We started by reading The Dot and playing the Emily Arrow Dot Day Song. Then each student decorated a dot on white art paper using markers. Rainbow dots seemed to be the choice of the day.

After drawing a dot, I asked my students to collect words and phrases about their artwork to use in a zeno poem. We wrote a zeno together using ideas from the book. Then they wrote their own zeno about their own dot. We folded their art work into a zine and copied their poems into their zine.

Zeno form: syllable count 8, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 1 (Each one syllable line rhymes. )

Our Group Dot Zeno

I can’t draw a straight line, can you?
May I please see
you draw
dot?
I don’t think so
maybe
not
I bet you can
draw a
lot!

Dot Day Zeno Zine by Chloe

After the rainstorm has happened
Colors appear
rainbow
light
a beautiful
hopeful
sight
flower petals
amazing
bright

by Breighlynn

Zine by Breighlynn

I draw and write alongside my students, so I made three zeno zines throughout the day. My student Madison suggested that I post this one because, as she said, “The solar system is full of dots!”

Solar System Dot Zeno Zine

Gravitational central sun
spiral orbit
spinning
round
Solar system
planets
bound
Constant spinning
without
sound.

Margaret Simon, (c) 2018

Bayou Song Interview on KRVS:

If you are interested in hearing an interview with me on our local public radio station, click this link and go to “Interview.”

Posted in Slice of Life, Teaching, Writing | Tagged International Dot Day, zeno, zine | 5 Comments »

Slice of Life: When Poems Come

September 11, 2018 by margaretsmn

See more posts at Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life .

I am a writer. I am a poet. I am also a failure every day.

There is a myth about publishing, that once you get published, the writing becomes easier. I know that can’t be true. I’ve read enough blogs from authors to know this, but I’ve had days recently in which I’ve felt like I’ll never write another good poem. Ever.

I think the problem lies in how I am approaching my writing life these days. I expect to be motivated. I expect the words to come. And when they don’t, I feel a flood of failure. The kind that whispers in my head, “You will never write again.”

I’ve had writing partners go through this and my advice is always, give it time, take a break, go for a walk. These are all things I give myself permission to do, but when it goes on for days and days, it’s cause for concern.

Early in the morning sitting with my coffee and Charlie on my lap, I looked outside and said to myself, “How is it the cypress trees know that it’s September?”

I didn’t have my notebook. It was in my school bag in the trunk of my car. I didn’t want to go outside with bare feet to get it. And besides, I was worried the muse would escape if I did that. So I grabbed a nearby pad of paper and wrote a quick poem. This simple response relieved my writer’s block. Still when I went back to my work in progress, things were no better, but I calmed my disdain with my new poem. I got up and went to the study where I keep the old typewriter my son-in-law bought me at an estate sale and plinked the September poem, cut it out, and glued it into a beautiful handmade journal I reserve for these private musings. Ah, there.

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged writer's block | 7 Comments »

Poetry Friday: The List Goes On!

September 7, 2018 by margaretsmn

Poetry Friday round-up is with Carol at Beyond Literacy Link.

I’ve challenged my students to write a list poem this week. Before Friday was even here, Madison had taken the bait and wrote a list about the famous Fibonacci series. Madison has an unique style of writing poetry. She capitalizes all the words. I once asked her why she did that, and she told me because they are all important. Who can argue with that!?

Fib-List Poetry

Never-ending
Always Twirling

Since the Very Beginning
It has been Swirling

Green Points
A Real Place to Pinpoint

It will Not Disappoint
At the Right Viewpoint

A Fibonacci
Unlike the Nazi

Madison, 5th grade

Phyllotaxis plant spiral, goodfreephotos.com

My friend Kay continues to use Bayou Song to inspire poetry with her gifted 4th and 5th graders. Last week they wrote I am poems. This week they wrote tercets. I love Karter’s use of B words to express the beauty of birdsong.

Birdsongs
by Karter

Birds are like singing angels
Busting through sadness
Belting out melodies.

Pop on over to Linda Mitchell’s post full of poetry love from the National Book Festival last weekend. Her post helps me remember with joy and celebration!

Posted in Bayou Song, Poetry, Poetry Friday, Teaching | Tagged fibonacci poem, tercet | 14 Comments »

Spiritual Thursday: My Path

September 5, 2018 by margaretsmn

Today, Donna is gathering Spiritual Journey first Thursday posts. When she emailed us this week, she wrote, “This morning I finally landed on a moving target – the paths we’ve taken – by choice or nudging.”

I feel like I’ve had multiple paths in my life, the path of a wife and mother, the path of a teacher, the path of a writer, and the path of spiritual growth.

My life has been blessed with three daughters, a teaching career, and a writing practice. However, without a spiritual life, none of these would be fulfilling. My spiritual life supports me like “wind beneath my wings.”

I’ve done some study of the enneagram. It is a system of numbers to define a personality type. I subscribe to a daily email from The Enneagram Institute based on my number, two, the helper. Reading these daily directives, I can see myself more clearly and identify what I need to work on. With reflection, meditation, and prayer, I can be the best of myself every day. I especially like the enneathoughts that give me a little validation, like the one I received for today.

Receiving affirming messages encourages me to be who I am and who I am meant to be. I can shake off the ideals of success and popularity. I realize that within a true understanding of self and a generosity of spirit, I am successful. My prayer today is simple, “Loving God, help me be the best me I can be.”

Posted in Spiritual Growth, Writing | 5 Comments »

Slice of Life: Sign It!

September 4, 2018 by margaretsmn

Louisiana booth in the Parade of States.

Bayou Song was featured at the Louisiana booth at the National Book Festival. This was a fun yet humbling experience. Kids crowded our table wanting Mardi Gras beads and a stamp from our state. I stood on the side like a protective mother to my book. Occasionally an adult would take interest and want to talk. I had a number of good conversations about teaching, poetry, and writing. One parent and child asked me to sign the bookmark. I felt like Vashti from The Dot. Really? Yes, sign it.

A man picked up Bayou Song and as I reached out to grab it back, I realized he was reading a poem aloud to his infant son while a taller, school-aged boy clung to him. So heartwarming to see this scene in the midst of the crowd. He explained that he is a stay-at-home dad and he reads poetry to his children every day.

The National Book Festival is a huge free event that promotes literacy on all levels. On the kid level, there were activities and talks by authors like Kate DiCamillo, Dan Santat, and Jason Reynolds. For grown-up readers, there were some big names like Sonia Sotomayor, Amy Tan, and Roxanne Gay.

Poetry Friday friends Heidi Mordhorst, immediate right of the sign, and Linda Mitchell next to her. Heidi said, “Poetry is the means by which a person knows her place.”

The highlight of my day was to see two of my writing critique friends face to face. We palled around to a talk with poets laureate Tracy K Smith and Robert Haas. We also heard from a new-to-us author Suzanne Slade who presented about her new book Countdown. It’s written in verse! With amazing photos and illustrations.

Later in the day as I waited for my husband who was listening to Jon Meacham, I saw Suzanne walking by. I waved her down and not only was able to get her to sign her book, but we also had a great chat about writing and publishing. Authors are just regular people who love to talk about their work.

On Sunday, my husband and I worshiped at the National Cathedral and toured the Holocaust Museum. I was moved by both experiences in different ways. Our nation’s capital is an awe-inspiring place to visit. My husband agreed and said he’d accompany me on any author trips. He enjoyed being my “roadie.”

Posted in Bayou Song, Slice of Life, Travel, Writing | Tagged National Book Festival, Washington DC | 5 Comments »

Poetry Friday: Be an Inspiration!

August 31, 2018 by margaretsmn

Poetry Friday round-up is with Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge

One of my goals for my book Bayou Song is for the poetry and invitations to inspire kids to write. My friend and writing group partner, Kay, presented the opening poem, “I am a Beckoning Brown Bayou” to her gifted 4th and 5th grade students. She invited them to write. Imagine their excitement when she said she knew the author and encouraged them to send their poems to me via Google docs. She said, “I even let them sit in my wheelie chair to write to you.”

I was delighted. I wrote two comments to each one. Kay looks forward to meeting her kids again next week and showing them the comments. I told her that she was doing exactly what I hoped Bayou Song would do, inspire new poems. Enjoy these creative response poems!

QUACK,QUACK!
By John
Quack,quack!
We ducks love the duck pond and warm summers.
We like the smell of fresh bread.
We never have a bad time at the duck pond.

Quack,quack!
The duck pond opens and all the kids are running.
They love to feed us bread and hear us QUACK!
The kids also love to hold us fluffy duckies.

Quack,quack!
When the sun started to set everyone was upset.
Us full ducks floating around love to sleep.
For tomorrow, there is more bread to fill our beaks!

I, the Ocean Can
By Marin
I am a wild ocean.
Over time, animals with legs have given me a name.
Though I do not need one.
The winds of earth push my mighty rolling waves.
I am located between two areas of land.
Which I have benefited for hundreds of years.

I am a wild ocean.
Please help my fishy friends.
They are being hurt by oil.
This oil comes from the animals with legs.
Many of the sharks are being killed too.
Also being killed by the animals with legs.

I am a wild ocean.
Thousands of offspring from the turtles are killed.
On that note, please don’t pollute.
Or trash my beaches.
My tropical waters are now gray and black.
The animals with legs are not to be trusted.
They are hurting the mermaids.

I am a wild ocean.
I will do anything to save my fellow waters.

I, the ocean can …… and will.

Bayou Song cover 1 copy

Bayou Song and I are on our way to the National Book Festival in Washington, DC. If you live in the DC area, come to the festival and see me. Bayou Song was selected as Louisiana’s Great Read in the 52 Great Reads for young readers. I’ll be posting pictures to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Posted in Writing | 19 Comments »

Slice of Life: The Letter You Saved

August 28, 2018 by margaretsmn

See more posts at Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life .

Take Down the Letters: A play will be presented at Cité des Arts, Lafayette, LA on Sept. 14, 15, 16.

I met Sue Shleifer with a mutual friend a few years ago. She’s a writer, and my friend thought we would enjoy meeting each other. At our lunch together, Sue mentioned a box of letters that she had written to her boyfriend over the course of ten years from age 18-28. The box had been sent to her by his widow. He died young at age 50. Sue wanted to create something from these letters, but at that time, she wasn’t sure what.

Fast forward three years: Sue has written a full length play that will be presented in mid-September. As part of the grant, she had to give a free writing workshop. She contacted me to assist with the poetry writing session. The premise was very similar to the inspiration for her play: Bring in a letter that you would like to use to write a scene or a poem.

After Sue and I met to discuss the workshop plan, I asked Jeff, “Don’t we have some letters from your grandfather to your grandmother in the secret drawer in her desk?” He couldn’t remember, so we looked. The secret drawer is in the top of the desk and can only be opened by pressing a button underneath the drawer in a closed compartment. And sure enough there they were. Letters from the summer of 1925.

According to my mother-in-law, their daughter, they were married in City Hall in New York City. And shortly after, her mother traveled home to Canada to vacation with her family for a month. C was very much in love, and the letters are romantic. “Probably why she kept them,” Jeff said.

Imagine the time period: the only mode of communication was by letter. C wrote pages and pages in fine calligraphy-style handwriting. The one that was most poetic was the last letter of August 8, 1925. In this one, he used a repeated line “Bring back…” I created a poem by finding the poem in his letter.

If you come in on the 7:47, bring the bathing suit with you.
And bring back yourself even if you forget all of the above.

Bring back that dark brown hair I love,
the big wavy curl that hangs
continuously over your left eye.

Bring back the eyes looking into mine
telling me you are mine.
Bring back the nose,
your quivering lips–silent.

Bring back the arms that have hugged me
so tightly–a little tighter still, because–
because they wanted to.

Bring back your heart, that electric spark
thrilling my toes, my body to my head
and down again–and again.

Bring back the mystery, the wonder,
the sweetness that is yours.
I will take it all, put my arms around it
all, and hug, and kiss, and love it
for ages and ages.
Will you?

–Margaret Simon (c) 2018 with words by Cecil Lennan, 1925.

Posted in Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged Sue Schleifer, Take Down the Letters | 14 Comments »

Poetry Friday is Here: Zeno Zines

August 23, 2018 by margaretsmn

Today I am hosting Poetry Friday. What a joy to collect all the poetry goodness in the kidlitosphere. Scroll down to the inlinkz button to link up and to read posts.

This summer I participated in the Summer Poem Swap organized by Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference. I recently received a delightful package from Laura Shovan, (And it arrived on my birthday! Serendipity!) Laura received one of my books in a blog tour give-away. She made a copy of the “Write it” for writing a zeno poem. The zeno form was invented by J. Patrick Lewis. The syllable count is a mathematical sequence, 8,4,2,1,4,2,1,4,2,1 with the one syllable words rhyming.

I was inspired to try my own zeno. Last week Christie Wyman challenged us to write bird poems. I loved Linda Baie’s poem and gathered words from it to create my zeno. Then I made a zine. Zine is a new term for a folded paper mini-book. (See this post that includes videos.) I will be giving a few workshops in September in which we make zines, so I wanted to make a sample Zeno Zine.