Slice of Life ~ The Gift of Writing

Our room is a bit like the North Pole with Santa’s elves scurrying around to finish their work. Instead of toys, we are writing piles of poems and selecting just the right words for our gifts of writing. Each student is creating a calendar with his or her own collection of poems. Many writers will compose twelve originals for their 2011 calendar with the option to add a few by published poets. This is clearly one of my favorite writing projects. Watching the seeds germinate, sprout, and blossom is a beautiful thing!
Fingers were tapping, counting out the beats for the 5-7-5 pattern. Awhile back I read a review of a new book titled Guyku written by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Peter Reynolds. While the book was written with boys in mind it is equally appealing to the gals. The website has a sampling of poems from the book and a gallery of haikus submitted by young poets. You will also find handouts with directions and tips for writing guykus. Such fun! Each day will feature a different poet mentor. These mini author studies are like stops on a cruise ship with just enough time to look around places you might like to visit again for a longer period of time.
I love the steady buzz of worker bees. “How does this line sound?” “Will you listen to my poem?” “I’ve got an idea!” In my mind, there is nothing like the power of poetry. Children feel the strength of the language as they search for just the right word. They experience the gratification of a published piece in a relatively short period of time. Writers, young and old find their voices and know the words of the song. Music to my ears! The gift that keeps on giving.