This week we are back from Easter break and in the depths of standardized testing, so it has become an opportunity for me to start the daunting task of cleaning out my classroom for retirement. I’ve been looking through old files and deciding what to keep and what to trash. Most of it is trash, but I look at it anyway. There are some things that are hard to throw away. It’s hitting me hard, I must say. So for two of the poem prompts at Ethical ELA, I wrote about this process. Writing is the way I can let go of some of the pent up feelings. (I don’t want to show them to my students.)
Larin Wade gave the prompt on Wednesday. Ironically she is a first year teacher. She asked us to write about seasons using the etheree form (consists of ten lines of increasing syllable count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. 10)
Time
reflects
a long life
of commitment
not only to teach
but to nurture children
hold them with loving kindness
allow a safe space for growing.
Retire is a bold, yet daunting word.
One door closes. Will another open?
On Friday, Ashley challenged us with double dactyls. To see the rules (guidelines) for this poem, go to her post here.
Higgledy-piggledy
Filefuls of gibberish
Fill up her trash bin with
Piles of old news
Secretly covering
Years of her mothering
Spilling soft mutterings
long overdue.
And now back to the task at hand. Happy Friday! Four Fridays to go!
Reflections on the Teche 