One phrase that I could sum up the professional readings from this week would be:
YOU NEED TO FEEL IT!!
When writing poetry, it is important to fill the poems to the absolute brim with feeling. Just like finding topics with narrative writing, we need to teach students to find the “small moments” that are conducive to poetry and it has to be
IMPORTANT TO THEM!!!!!
One way to do this is to model writing a:
heart poem (hart pome): noun; a poem that is about something you really care about and is totally infused with emotions
These can’t just be things we as teachers care about, but something that our students care about or relate to. Here are some possible topics I would use with an upper-elementary group:
- my bird, Twinkie
- when I didn’t make the higher soccer team
- eating too much ice-cream with Tess and Zoe
We have to stress to our students to put their own “voice” in the poem, and that it should sound different than a story. The first thing I would do is write the speech down as a student, and then I would help them change words out and figure out where the line breaks should go to make it into a poem by having them “recite” it out loud.
TAKR: Math
Even AKR couldn’t make me get poetry off the brain this week, I couldn’t help thinking about how pages 216-217 was a good example and demonstration of the inner-workings of a metaphor. She writes:
“September 16th is the most common birthday of the world + on average, a baby’s first word is spoken at 12 months of age=September 16th is the day of the year when the most human utter their very first word.”
The addends are completely unrelated, but that didn’t stop Amy from connecting them with one common thread.
I also loved how when you multiply coffee and patience/silence, you get poetry; but swap that coffee for beer and it is fishing. Hilarious and definitely true.
I attempted to copy the Japanese term on page 223 for “an awareness of the impermanence of all things and a wistful, gentle sadness at their passing.” If only I could remember the pronunciation, because I can very much so identify that feeling, like when I’m singing Hollis to sleep, spending time with my far-off family, or taking graduation pictures last year. It is like that last day of vacation that you can never fully enjoy.
“The Beckoning of the Lovely” was great, they came up with many creative “making” ideas!
Citations (I highly recommend them all):
Rosenthal, A. K. (2016). Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal. New York, NY: Penguin Group USA.
Routman, R (2005). Writing essentials: raising expectations and results while simplifying teaching.
Sloan, M. Into Writing: The primary teacher’s guide to writing workshop.
VanDerwater, A. L., & Gourley, R. (2013). Forest has a song: Poems. Boston: Clarion Books.
Light the Fire 