It's been a long while since I OIKed, and usually OIKing happens on Tuesdays
, but this week we have a Friday Overheard in Kindergarten moment. Actually we have more than one! It's very important to maintain a sense of humor when the weeks are so irregular (our school system has not had a complete week of school since DECEMBER) and when the children are so
irregular surprising. Here are gems from yesterday which are evidence, I like to think, of children learning what I'm teaching:
K.MD.A.1
Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe
several measurable attributes of a single object:
"Miss Jenson, have you lost waist?"
3.1.C.2a. Examine a variety of living things and their offspring and
describe what each parent and offspring looks like (we have been researching turtles particularly):
"Ms. Linney's baby is going to hatch soon!"
4.K.B.5
With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions
from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed:
"It took me six months not to finish this!"
*************************
Revision
It took me six months
a lot of weeks at least
to remember what
I wrote
It took me six months
since I was still five
to read my
old words
It took me six months
and again today
to add one more
describing word
It took me six months
not to finish this!
and now tomorrow
I'm finally done!
HM 2014
all rights reserved
*************
I must say that this poem reflects the sorry state of Writing Workshop in my classroom this year. Something about our funky schedule and the particularities of my class has meant that many, many days our scanty writing time just gets swallowed up by difficult afternoon transitions and the need for a movement break and an unusually large number of kids who don't find a focusing joy in expressing themselves on paper. I've always taught kids that Writing Workshop is "our favorite time of the day," the most relaxed, self-differentiated activity we do, but we haven't been able muster that habit this year. " It's taken me six months not to finish this..." and it's a mighty disappointment, to tell the truth.
AND YET! How thrilling that on the same day we have finally arrived at the possibility of publishing our writing, copies of the
Poetry Friday Anthology for Science also arrived at my door. I was able to open the awesome Fourth Grade
Student Edition and show my "Cicada Magic" poem right there in a real book, with my name and everything! And THEY were thrilled and excited for me and for themselves, to actually reach an end point and publish their writing in a finished-looking form. Deep breath; renewed commitment.
I believe that most regular Poetry Friday participants have poems in this anthology, the delights of which I haven't yet had time to fully savor--but if somehow you haven't heard, do go and look at the riches which are now available for you, your students, your children, your scientist friends, your anybody!
Join Margaret at
Reflections on the Teche for PF goodness today and all weekend.
