As I reflected on my
teaching life in preparation to write something, anything, about it,
my immediate reaction was to think of my students and what they are
to me. I thought of the poetry I've been reading in preparation to
teach it to my students. Intrigued by the idea of autobiographical
poems, I set out to write one on the subject of my students and our
student-teacher relationship. The resulting poem (included here)
began as one thing and progressed into something completely
different. I started out thinking about my students and how they
quickly become more than just my students. They become my kids. I'm
not just concerned about their progress in English class; I'm
concerned about their lives, now and in the future. As I wrote, the
poem steered itself into something more about them and less about me.
It wasn't about what they are to me, but what they are to themselves.
I discovered a focus I hadn't realized was there.
As we write, our
original intention frequently falls away or goes to wait in the
corner for another time or place. As we follow bunny trails of
thought, we may discover something new, something that we didn't know
was there, lurking under the surface of cognition.
In the process of
writing, I surprised myself. My hope is that my students will also
find these little Easter egg surprises hiding behind the tufts of
grass of other thoughts while they write. Maybe the Easter egg will
hold something wonderful and deep, worth further exploration, or
maybe it will be little more than a fleeting colorful thought. In any
case, it will reveal something that the writer didn't anticipate.
What a joy, to discover something new within ourselves!
In these written
excursions, I want my students to find themselves and their voices,
to discover what they think and what they have to say about it. Then
I want them to say it! I want them to have the skills to express it
all so the rest of the world can come along and follow their bunny
trails. Perhaps their readers will hop along some bunny trails of
their own, the process of discovery continuing.
Discovery
by Lara Engle
My
students,
Full of
energy,
Want to
have fun.
“Work?
Not now.
We'll get
it done.”
Curious
Quick
Busy
Emotional
Powerful
Inspired
Harness
it.
Direct
it.
Feel it.
Connect
it.
They find
a thread.
They pull
it loose.
Unravel
it,
Follow
it,
Sew it
into something new.
“Ms.
Engle!
Come
here!
I want to
show you what I did.”
Unexpected
New
Unique
Is it
good?
What do
you think?
Lara,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reflective look at the ups and downs of middle school students. What a wonderful "punch" from your middle stanzas.
I identify with the way the students see themselves, "Curious/
Quick/Busy" are in juxtaposition with how you, the teacher, see them, "Emotional/Powerful/Inspired". As a middle school teacher, I feel the same way, but had never articulated it so succinctly. Thank you for expressing what I had only thought. You are inspiring, and it is easy to see that you love what you do. In Gratitude,
Lisa Maliszewski
Lara,
ReplyDeleteYou capture so much in so few words! This was a great poem with great flow and rhythm. As I mentioned when we were in our group, I don’t know how you do it. I wish I had that talent and ability to play with words. You are going to be a great teacher and I expect you will inspire generations of students to find a thread, pull it loose, unravel it, follow it, and sew it into something new.
Chris
Lara,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the amazing capture of students and their ability of self-discovery. I enjoy how you put so much energy and detail in such few words. Many times the best way of learning is through one's own discoveries as it makes the greatest impacts and you have showcased just that. So once again, thank you for this thread of inspiration!
Kristal