Instilling the love

I made a realization today of how important what I do is. I've known teaching is important and I can look back to several teachers and the impressions they made on my life. I'm now realizing the impressions I am making upon my students.

About 3 weeks ago, I introduced my class to my most favorite poet of all time, Shel Silverstein. When I was young, my parents had a tape of him reciting his poems from "Where the Sidewalk Ends". I would fall asleep listening to his gravely voice reciting the most imaginative words I had ever heard. I wanted to share some of this with my students.

I picked 2 or 3 poems from the only Shel Silverstein book I had in my classroom, "Light in the Attic" and read them to my kids. They loved the art and the funny poetry. I didn't think much of it, but the next day my students were asking me to read some more of his poetry, so I picked out a couple more poems.

A few days later, we had library. I told my kids they should check out the other Shel Silverstein books. The first week, there were 2 or 3 kids that chose a Silverstein book. But, there were more requests to read some more of his poetry. Of course, at this point, I realized that "Light in the Attic" is not the most 1st grader friendly book - meaning, some of the humor was over their heads. I told my kids I was looking for a particular poem and it wasn't in my book, so I needed to find it.

The next week, when it was time for library, I'm pretty sure my class checked out every Shel Silverstein book there was. Of course each student wanted to have the book that contained my favorite poem, so they all had to show the book they got to me. As I opened up "Where the Sidewalk Ends", memories came flooding back of my childhood. I remembered the excitement and love of poetry Shel's voice portrayed as he recited his poetry. I'm pretty sure he one of the reasons I write now.

As soon as I saw the poems in the book, I knew immediately this book had my favorite poem. I still repeat parts of this poem in my head on the days I just don't want to get out of bed. It helps me remember that I'm ok and I will have a good day.

SICK

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay,
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash, and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is---Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

~Shel Silverstein~ 


How could you not smile and go on with your day after that?

OK, back to my "epiphany" - I was talking to a parent of one of my students today and she mentioned how her son came home from school so excited about this new poet he heard about, he told his mom about the funny poems a man named Shel Silverstein wrote and he asked her if she knew of Shel. Of course she did and like many people my age, she had a copy of a couple of his books. He was so excited to show her all the poems he had heard. The next day he brought the 2 books to school for me to borrow to read to the class.

Another student brought me in the book her mom had of "The Giving Tree" and asked me to read it to the class.

As I looked around my room during reading time, I realized something...I had 3 or 4 kids sitting around 1 book of poetry laughing and trying to read with feeling so they could make the poem sound even more interesting. As one student finished with what they wanted to read, another would grab the book up quickly. My students don't want to turn in their Shel Silverstein library books because they like to read the poems over and over again.

The love I have for Shel Silverstein is in my class and it is amazing to see.

This is why I love my job...I am part of making these children who they will become.

Tomorrow on the agenda? I downloaded "Where the Sidewalk Ends" audio with the gravely, exciting Shel Silverstein voice...I can't wait for my kids to hear Shel recite his own poems.