Poetry Cafe

I love admiring this picture.  For me, there's something so very peaceful about it.  It represents nine months of blossoming for 24 young little thinkers.  I took this on the day of our Poetry Cafe (inspired by Marie, my teammate, who found an amazing post about a teacher who knew how to put on a great Poetry Cafe - look here and you'll be impressed).  Each of my poets got to sit in the limelight and read one of their published poems while the other poets sat on the floor quietly awaiting their turn and teaching the adults who came to join us how to be poetically cool and snap after each reading.  (The black curtain is a Dollar Store tablecloth.  I love how simple and perfect and cheap it is.)

As our guests arrived, two of my kids stood at the door and welcomed them with their greetings, as well as a program.  We had lots of guests too.  Only five of my kids weren't represented by an adult.

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They were encouraged to wear jeans and black t-shirts.  Berets were also mentioned as an option, and a handful took me up on that.  They were pretty cute and very poetic looking.

Each poet got to read their poem into our new sound system.  You can see this little poet holding onto the microphone that fits around the neck.  It definitely came in handy for some of our quiet readers and noisier guests.

I also read a poem of mine.  I read my Where I am From poem, which my kids also wrote during our unit.  In fact, a few chose to read theirs at our Poetry Cafe.  I recently posted about them.  (Look here.  You'll find a template.)  Anyway, I didn't plan on crying, but the minute I sat down, I knew I was in trouble.  I cried through the whole thing and could tell the tears were a bit contagious for the adults in the room too.  Poetry and a blessed life and a year spent with little people who have grown so much can do that to a person.

Every year my poets celebrate the end of our unit by publishing their poetry in a poetry anthology.  This year was no different, except that I decided to pass them out at the end of our Poetry Cafe as a perfect way to end a perfect moment.  The cookies were an added bonus.

I'm very grateful that Marie suggested we give this Poetry Cafe idea a shot.  I knew it was going to be worth it.  I just didn't know how much.  (The parents raved about it, by the way.)  I've definitely found a new tradition.  

Where I'm From (freebie)

I'm a big fan of discovering the magic in the words of a young poet.  I think it's harder to find that magic when kids think poetry has to rhyme or when there are lots of rules involved.  There's something rather powerful about free verse poetry.  It makes for clever poems like these.

Having said that, amidst a poetry unit full of free verse, I tried something new this year recommended by a fellow writing teacher, Marie, who loves teaching free verse poetry as well.  Have you heard the poem "Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon?  It's a heart-felt and unique poem that lends itself to imitation even for first graders.  Here are a few first grade examples.

Below is a template that you're welcome to use.  Marie gave me a great one, and I modified it ever so slightly.  You'll also find many varieties on the internet.

(Click on the picture for your own copy.)

I still love free verse the most, but I'm glad that Marie shared this with me.  I think these poems will be special treasures for not only the poets but their families as well. 

Saturday Sayings: A School Thing

The voice of Regie Routman is one that has repeatedly played over and over in my head throughout my career.  She's taught me a lot, but the thought above is one of the most foundational principals that has influenced my pedagogy.  Regie preaches authenticity, and she sees a difference between what typically takes place in schools and what takes place in the real world.  She wants to bridge the gap by making classroom instruction mirror the world that kids live in when they're not in our classrooms.  Yep, Regie's all about things I'd like to be all about.  I can't say I'm altogether there.  There are things that happen in my classroom that are more school-ish than I'd like, and I struggle to find ways to make them more like the real world.  I guess that's what Regie wants of me though - to reflect and ask the hard questions about school things.  I so want to be like her.

This past week I read a blog post from Regie via Facebook and left her a message. 

Can I be me and her at the same time?

Forehead Compensation (freebie)

My mathematicians are pretty good at making ten.  We recently practiced with this little activity.

I put equations on their foreheads and gave them a Making Ten recording sheet.  (By the way, there's something special and motivating about a first grader and their forehead.)  They visited heads, wrote down the person's equation, compensated on their sheet by making ten, and wrote the new equation before solving.

You can see above how they compensated with an arrow and the amount that must be given to the number to make it into a ten.

Here's the recording sheet if you're interested.

Happy making ten!

Dandelions, Where They Belong

Our final art project of the year turned out pretty well, I'd say. I found this painting of a dandelion on Pinterest.  It became our inspiration, as well as the many dandelions that are sprinkled throughout our playground.  

Since I didn't really know what I was doing, I kept it simple.  We used color crayons for the stem and attempted to do a bit of shading.  Then we used regular old white chalk for the seeds.  Like I said, it's simple but I'm very happy with the outcome.

They are much more welcome here on the wall than in my lawn!

When I Grow Up

I'm linking up today and answering a few questions about myself.  (Warning:  It's nothing too exciting.)

1.  What made you decide to be a teacher?

I'm not sure I can remember a day when I officially made the choice to teach.  I think it was always part of my plan and in my blood. I was one of those little people who said I was going to be a teacher when I grew up and meant it.  I loved my elementary teachers though, so I know they played a huge role.

2.  What has been the most rewarding experience as a teacher?

I can't really narrow it down to one experience, but welcoming non-writers and non-readers into the literacy club is part of what guarantees that I'll be forever in first.  It's a challenge but a rewarding one.

3.  If you were not a teacher, what would you be?

There was a time when swimming with the whales sounded like fun, but I got over that about 35 years ago.  I guess if I weren't a teacher, I'd probably be working with teachers.  Truthfully, I wouldn't mind becoming Regie Routman when I grow up.

If you're in the mood for a linky, go visit Latoya and let us in on your own answers.

Saturday Sayings: Play the Hand You're Dealt

In no way am I trying to trivialize my profession, but I've often thought that being a teacher is similar to playing a game of cards.  I play the hand I'm dealt.  I've no control over which cards I get at the beginning of the year, but I do control how I play the game.  Now that the game is almost over, I look at my cards and ask myself, "How'd I do?"  It's tempting to look at certain cards and list off excuses as to why that particular one didn't do as well in the game as I would have liked.  I've been there many times when someone asks "How's so and so doing?" and I start listing off home, social, or motivation problems that get in the way.  Although valid, those excuses are things I had no control over.  I can only worry about how I strategically used that card to its best advantage.  My goal is to find a way to sharpen my card playing skills in a way that ensures the success of each one in spite of the external factors that I have absolutely no control over.  Pie in the sky?  Maybe.