Linda Kulp Trout

Thursday, September 25, 2014

More Student Poems

This is a post I meant to share at the beginning of the month, but I never got to it. I've been devoting all of my writing time to a special project.  The days have flown by, and now here we are at the end of September! 

Thank goodness for a day off!  I'm writing this on Thursday afternoon because school is closed in honor of Rosh Hashanah so I'm doing my best to catch up on my "To-do" list.

This week I'm sharing two more students poems that were modeled after Janet Wong's poem "Another New Year" published in The Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School. Reading my students' poems taught me about their hopes and dreams for the new school year. 

Knowing their interests also helps me choose texts for my classroom.  I'm saving these poems to use for another activity. At the end of the year, they'll write another poem and compare the two to see if their interests have changed or remained the same.

You can read more about the writing activity I used with my students here.

Another New Year

Another new year:
another new start.

I'm thinking I should
take a drawing class.                                 
                                                                                      
And try out                                                                              
for basketball.

and not be so shy
meeting new people.

For fun I could learn
to play an instrument.

(Pull friends into
an band club?)

Our drawing club
is meeting today.

I guess I could join.
I'd need to practice
coloring again.

This is the year
I want to get all A's!

-C.

Another New Year

Another new year:
another new start.

I'm thinking I should
dye my hair blue.

And try  to read
a whole book for once.
                                                                                       
and not dress
like the 80's.

For fun I could learn
how to change my look.

(Pull friends into
a fashion show?)

Our theater group
is meeting today.

I guess I could join.
I'd need to be cool.

This is the year
to be awesome!

-V.

9 comments:

  1. Love it! How neat that my poem might become the indirect inspiration for someone's blue hair!!

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  2. Janet, this was such a fun activity for the kids and for me. I wrote one too, then we all took turns sharing. They got to make connections with their similar interests and hopes for the new school year. It was a great way to help build community in our classroom.

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  3. I hope C.'s plans come true! They sound like excellent aspirations. The theater club sounds like a happy idea for V. -- she sounds like she might have a flair for drama!

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    Replies
    1. Tabatha, I know what you mean. I loved reading about their dreams for a successful school year.

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  4. Replies
    1. Thanks, Mary Lee. The kids told me they were fun to write too.

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  5. Loving these honest and personal glimpses, Linda. Maybe I should dye my hair blue, too.

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    Replies
    1. Michelle, the girl who wrote that poem now has one thin blue streak in her hair. So, I guess she meant it!

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  6. These are wonderful, Linda! But I do question V's vow to "not dress like the 80's". I love the 80's - Bermuda shorts + penny loafers = 80's preppy! Thanks for the smile. = )

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