Five poems, five Crackers, and an orange or three.

Trees sway and bow

In the gusty windy day

Branches in swordfight.

Ted Andrews, 5th grade

Today I painted a digital ink-and-watercolor using a Skillshare class. No water spilled. No brush dipped in the coffee.

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I have kept a box of poems that my students have penned over the three plus decades I taught. I love their work, and I think you will, too. This month is a good month to highlight some, including the one in the header. Most of these students were 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. I was able to work a lot more creative writing into the curriculum near the front end of my career; later, other curriculum necessities pushed much of it out, although I tried to work it whenever I could. (Lots of science poems lie in the box.) I really do believe that children are instinctively creative. And P.S. - all of these kids are grown-ups, some with grown children and perhaps even grandchildren. (A personal frightening thought.) Maybe even a reader? Wouldn’t that be awesome!

For those you may want a refresher course, Haiku is a short poem, often nature-based, with 3 lines, 5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables. Here are a few of my favorite springy ones.

Blooming one by one,

Establishing a circle,

Covering the tree.

        Freddie Luna

 

In sweet meadow grass

And in a huge, green oak tree,

Animals are gay.

         Deanna Goins

 

The sun is shining

It warms my soul and my heart,

It fills me with love.

          Dixie Jackson

 

And the last Animal Cracker has been posted to Instagram. You will find them below.

Harry, Day 27

Harry, Day 27

Joe, Day 26.

Joe, Day 26.

Fergie, Day 29.

Fergie, Day 29.

Winnie. Day 28.

Winnie. Day 28.

Billy, Day 30.

Billy, Day 30.

Thanks for visiting!