This week, we read Julia Alvarez‘s poem, “Dusting.” I asked the students who was speaking, and when they said a little girl, I responded how did they know? If the poem didn’t have the writer’s name on it, could they tell if it was being spoken by a boy or a girl? We decided that it wasn’t clear, which made the poem’s story more universal. Next we discussed the setting; because of certain details—a cabinet, dining table, chairs, bookshelf, rocker, mirrors, desk—students thought it was a house. If, as the speaker says, “Each morning I wrote my name / on the dusty cabinet,” would their answer still be the same? That sounds like a very dusty house! (And by the way—what is dust, exactly?) One possibility was that the speaker could be going with their mother to a different house every day, where she works as a cleaner or a maid, which also gave us some idea of how young the speaker is. Finally, we talked about the last two lines: “But I refused with every mark / to be like her, anonymous.” What is the speaker’s attitude about their mother? How are they refusing to be like her? What does “anonymous” mean?
Taking out their paper and pencils to write, I asked for opposites of anonymous, then said the students should write about what makes them unique or special.
Mrs. Brown, 4th Grade
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Ryan B.
I am unique because
I have something nobody
has
MY
fingerprint (except for the hospital)
Also I am unique
because
I
am
who
I
am
and I do not pretend
to
be
somebody
else.
Unique, Me?
Joice H.
Am I unique?
I…
dance,
write,
tumble,
run,
swim,
but I am unique
One Thing That Makes Me Unique
Morgan H.
I do ice skating
I float on the ice like
a boss my coach is like a
Porsche that shines like the sky.
But the best thing
I love is that my dress
looks like the prettiest blue
lagoon.
The Unique Girl
Ellery K.
My name is Ellery
and it rhymes with celery
I don’t know why no one
has this name
people say I have a pretty
long mane
I wish there was a
cherry
lane
or maybe a fancy
chocolate
cane
I love fast food a lot
but I wish I had a parking lot
This is from a unique girl
who loves to collect pearls
Different
Mara M.
My mom says I am bright as a
star. My dad says I am unique.
What I think is the same
I think I am special. Just in
a different way. I like
who I am. Nothing can change
that.
Me
Claire R.
I am unique.
Different from others.
Many traits.
Nice and kind.
Friendly girl.
Me.
Mrs. Johnson, 4th Grade
The Weirdo
Molly M.
Once in kindergarten a boy cursed at me
From the experience I learned something
So I taught myself to be strong and mild
Though it was painful I managed to succeed
So when I first came to Skinner
I was prepared for all the war to come
To this day I stay standing as a tough weirdo
In this battle known as life…
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Gia M.
I wake up, and
feel the sun, I feel
the scare going to
school, oh no, what will
happen, I come back
home and eat a
snack, and say to myself,
I am unique!
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Robert P.
I am
unique
because
I am
funny and
I am usually
really fast
that is what
makes me unique
School
Charlotte S.
In China, people are the same.
Speak Chinese, learn write.
It will be good
if there will be
a different kind of kinds.
I’m ready to go to U.S.
I’m ready to go to
their school.
Here I come.
Wow! So cool.
Every kind of people,
so cool.
I wish I could
stay here forever.
How I Stand Out and Ask
Isabella T.
When some forget what to do
I don’t bother to ask
I was born to ask questions
and make a mark even if
others do too I think that’s
what’s so unique about me.
I ask I ask I ask I ask
I have confidence and
never stop to not ask.
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Sunny X.
I have an older brother,
that’s always mean to me,
a mom that is a nurse,
a dad that is a doctor.
My grandma
who was once a teacher and who I love
is in China
this is my family,
pretty normal.
I don’t know if I’m special,
but I do have a normal life.
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Isabella Z.
I’m not sure
what it is
that makes me
special
different from
others
Maybe
my eyes
my hair
my looks
or because
I’m ten and
can cook
I might never know
I can blend in with
the crowd what’s so
special my mom
says I should be
proud
now I realize
what’s the deal
I’m special
that’s now
what I see
everything about me
is different
my handwriting
looks
I’m unique
Mrs. Rupp, 4th Grade
Outspoken
Celeste D.
If I went with the crowd
I would be in-spoken.
If I was perfect I
would be prissy.
If I was anonymous
I wouldn’t be me.
by…….
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Carter H.
I am special in a few ways
I have a few talents
But I am still like most kids
I like pizza
I play music and do theater
I
don’t
really
like
work
but
will
do
it
if needed
Unique
Sarah K.
Today I wondered about myself today
I wondered—hey,
what’s so special about me?
And I realized—
I’m unique.
I’m special because I am me.
Unique
Yvonne L.
I am not like other people.
I am who I want to be.
I am
unique
I have my own mind.
People aren’t me.
I’m not them.
I am
me
Different People
Nehemiah O.
What makes everyone special
is how they are different
some might be
anonymous
or hidden away
but when you interact with people,
like me,
everything will
change
I am not anonymous
because of how I act, I love to
be social.
I’m not hidden
or a secret
I love to show my personality
but if everyone was the same.
It would be no personality
in the world. I love to be me.
So whatever you
want to be,
be you
and that’s cool.
Me
Aiden Y.
Every single day,
I write paragraphs of
my day. I feel special
because I have awesome
friends. A lot of
humans know me.
From violin, school, and
summer camps. I feel
really really special!
Mr. O’Brien, 4th Grade
Different
Leon D.
I am different. I have a brown freckle
on my forehead. At least I love chocolate
ice cream.
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Angelina H.
Each time I finish my work
I’d take a piece of paper
I’d doodle what my mind says
I would make friends
I would make Koroks
I would go until the voice says
“Time’s up!”
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Anabella M.
I like raw fish
and I have a different fingerprint than
everyone.
I love school most of the time.
I also have pretty long eyelashes
and I also like really hot stuff.
I like not just one color I like
lots of colors.
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Noah R.
I am the fastest boy
in my class I don’t know
if this is in the past what
I do know is how to cast
I love pie and go places
with a tie
It is good to be me
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Grace S.
What makes ME unique is
my weirdness and funniness
and my kindness just everything
about ME
Math
Noah S.
When we
come up
from lunch
and go
we go through
the maze of
turning hallways and finally get
there
Some people stay some go
but the math is supposed to
be just right but not for
me, I’m one of the top,
like the top of Mount
Everest
