December

I'm back.  I cannot believe that it is already December.  I know that I have already said it this year but time really seems to be flying.

Today we started to talk about poetry in writing.  I read aloud part of the book Poetry Matters by Ralph Fletcher.

I love this book.  I think it really helps students understand all the possibilities of poetry.  Today the book talked about the power of poetry.  How we read poetry at funerals, graduations, retirements, and inaugurations.  Poetry is this powerful bit of writing and hopefully I can show that to the class.

Each day for the next three weeks I will read aloud a bit from Poetry Matters and then I will share a poem.  The poem we read today was "Lullaby" by Georgia Heard.  I found the poem in the book This Place I Know: Poems of Comfort.

"Lullaby" is an interesting poem written in two stanzas and only containing questions.  We read the poem together chorally after the class listened to me read the poem.

After reading, the class went back to their seats and wrote.  I was amazed to see some of the work that was going on around the room.  Many of the students borrowed the idea of asking questions and used that in their pieces.  Others were writing poems to important people in their life.  Others were writing about winter and upcoming holidays.

I love this writing unit.  I am always amazed at the writing these students are able to produce.  If you get a chance, I hope you take time to look at the writing in the writer's notebook.  

I hope you all had a great start to the week.