This week, I kicked off my residency with students at Skinner West! Some I had worked with previously, back in 2nd grade, but overall these were new students, exhibiting varying degrees of familiarity with verse. In addition to introducing myself and laying out what we’ll be doing—reading poems, discussing them, and then writing based on some idea(s) gleaned from those poems—we went over some basic poetic terminology, such as line and stanza, and I asked what exactly makes a poem a poem? Do they have to rhyme? Make sense? Be personal? Emotional? Silly? Serious? These were just a few of the questions posed in each classroom. With those basic guidelines established, students pulled out paper and were ready to go.
I wrote the word aleatory on the board, explaining that it means random choice, then acrostic, asking if they were familiar with that form? After showing them an example, I explained that the poem they would be writing is an aleacrostic, its vertical word(s) chosen by chance from books at their desks by selected volunteers. The words could be reflected thematically in the poems, or be used as starting points. Whatever works!
Here are a few selections from each class. We’re off to a great start!
Mrs. Rupp, 4th Grade
Hungry (I will eat anything)
Calvin B.
Hating no food is my thing at dinnertime
Underestimating food makes me sad
Nothing will stop me from eating
Giant broccoli florets are tasty.
Rebellish, I know. Right?
Yes, I know I am a rebel. Eating broccoli.
Untitled
Clarke B.
At 3:00 am on the dot
Fear climbs up my body like fast lizards on a tree
Racing down the stairs, I turn on every single light
Afraid shadow monster will come into my sight
Is it too late? Yes it is
Death approaches as I find out it was all a dream
Untitled
Alisa H.
Always study for tests.
Lower down your voice.
Level 0.
Untitled
Zoi P.
Amy
Fried chicken
Right
After
I
Did
Untitled
Kalista R.
A feeling of Sadness
For all times of Need
Right wrong
A bad or a good
I feel afraid
Don’t like this old life
Untitled
Farren S.
And sometimes I wonder if
Little ants feel the same as my
Little feelings.
Untitled
Kennedy W.
Alfred is very scared of eating
Fruit because he is allergic to it.
Ronaldo likes
All fruit
In whipped cream.
Darnel hates both fruit and whipped cream because he has depression.
Mrs. Carlson, 4th Grade
Untitled
Norbert I.
Come
On
Maine
Master
Of
Ninjas
Untitled
Hannah J.
Be
okay
xylophone
Untitled
Sai P.
Call the
Ordinary
Monkey
Man
Olo the
Nice
Untitled
Beck R.
Deli meat
As fresh
To them
As possible
Untitled
David Z.
Days
Are
Tough
Apples
Untitled
Alina Z.
Can
Octopuses
Meet
Mash potatoes
On
Neverland
Mrs. Johnson, 4th Grade
Untitled
Landon B.
Laws must be followed to be this kind of person
And I do this
With my family
And we also are good people
Because
I and my family are good and
Don’t break the laws
In anyway we are
Not bad we are
Good and that is that!!!
Untitled
Aparna J.
Law follower.
Amazing person for following laws
Wrong will not lead
An A+ student
Belonging to herself
I appreciate myself
Delight
Interesting
Nice
Gia
Untitled
Jack K.
Late
Also you could be tardy
We love to write poems
And letters
Because they’re fun
It’s crazy
Donuts yum!
I would like some donuts please!
Never ever eating meatballs again!
Good I ate donuts
Untitled
Raja’na L.
Lovely animals are cute
And they are playful
We play a lot even my brothers
And we take her to the dog park
But she plays with other dogs
I play with her and the other
Dogs too but also sometimes
I don’t take her to the dog park
Neither does my siblings but they’re
Good all the time
Untitled
Violetta P.
Lucy my cat
And she is in
War with
A puppy she will
Bat her
In her
Dang face
I think it is funny but
No hitting any
Great living thing
Untitled
Roshan S.
Larry is a very weird kid and has tons of pets
And most of his pets are
White dogs but he has some white cats that
Are very crazy
But the dogs are crazy too but if they are
In the house
Doing some monkey business of their own
In the corner of the room and get
Needy they
Go even more crazy
Mr. O’Brien, 4th Grade
Untitled
Augie C.
Good french fries are
Interesting to my belly
Very yummy too
Everyone should like french fries.
Untitled
Joy C.
GIVE
IT OR ELSE
VAMPIRES WILL
EXPLODE
Untitled
Elio G.
Photography is like an
Icicle waiting to fall
Come to the time when it falls you snap a photo
The photo is live in action
U are the one who froze it in time
Reconsider what you did because you know
Elegance is inspiration
Untitled
Zachary H.
Pictures
Include
Creativity,
They’re
Understanding
Reminding
Everyone of each other
Untitled
Skyler H.
Go get
Ice cream from the fridge
Very nice ice cream
Eat some
Untitled
Sydney T.
Love
intelligence
kindness
elegant
Untitled
Ethan T.
Love
If
Kitties
Eat everything
Untitled
Eva Z.
Grumpy cat
Is
Very hungry. Let him
Eat
