I met some of the students at Dubois Elementary a few weeks ago when I went to meet Ms. Dydo, the teacher I will be working with, and was immediately impressed by them. There was a fire drill and the uniformed classes exited the building like an organized community, carrying me in tow. Some waved at the new comer or said hello, and one student boldly asked me when I was coming back (to begin the class). On November 10, when I met the 6th, 7th and 8th graders, whose classrooms I will work in for the next 20 weeks, I was taken by that community once again: their declarations of their friendships with their classmates, their cooperation and willingness to help me (a stranger), to start the business of us getting to know one another and poetry. On the precipice of our nation’s change, they were energetic, kind, passionate and open-minded. They are ready. And I am excited and encouraged, not only about our class, but the fact that they welcomed me and poetry at a time when we all need each other and the power of emblazoned words so, so very much.
On our first day, we introduced ourselves, I to the students and them to me. Together we read Pablo Neruda’s poem, Poetry, and discussed some definitions of poetry.
The 7th and 8th grade classes shared some of the things they liked to do and ways that they expressed themselves. The 6th graders were to complete the sentence…Poetry is…There were not formal attempts; I kind of tricked them into writing poems on the first day, buy they all quietly took to the task of sharing, and since there is poetry in all things…in their answers to my questions, I found these.
8th Grade
Jashawn F.
Untitled
I like Christmas and Thanksgiving
because it’s fun when my whole family gets together
and eats, play games, open presents, and cook.
I like learning new things in Math
I express myself by drawing how I feel
7th Grade
Kanyeh M.
Untitled
I like to watch TV
play my X Box
I mostly stay outside
I’d like to learn more about reading
Draw everything being though of at the moment
I would very much like to learn
I express myself through rapping
Aniah P.
What I Like to Do
I love to watch Sponge Bob.
I like to be mean.
I am a cheerleader.
I really enjoy chilling with my friends
I love to watch all the Friday movies
I want to learn all different kinds of poetry
I hate haters, but I just shake them off!
Anitra J.
Untitled
I like to write and hold on to my emotions
I like to learn how to write
The way I show myself is by dancing, singing and writing
Reading, being around my family and my clothes.
I am happy, crazy, lazy,
Goofy, kind, big-hearted and funny.
6th Grade
Shariel H.
Poetry is…
A soothing
rhyming story
with feeling
expression and
thoughts
Jamarion H.
Poetry is…
Turning you true self on
Taking all your feelings out on paper and
Taking what you are thinking on paper
Takarionna G.
Poetry is…
Life
Love
Mind
Soul
That is poetry to me
Jaeda S.
Poetry is…
Heart-
warming
