handwritten on May 6, 2019
In the teaching of Concrete Poems today, the students had to make a list of just about every concrete noun they could think of that might be in the running for creating a concrete poem where words and visuals intertwine together to create a beautiful whimsical encounter. The list students came up with contained every image in the word one may or may not automatically find beauty within such as a clock or origami. One particular student decided to create a poem entitled "origami." Her words beautifully formed the folds and shapes of origami paper. Though simplistic concrete poems are, the purpose is to seek whimsy no matter how commonplace the object may seem. This student wrote:
"Fold and...
handwritten on May 4, 2019
Historically, Saturday has been marked as a day of violence in Northview Heights. But not today. Last week we came off of tangled weeds and multiple fights on the soccer field. There was kicking. Slugging. Hurtful words. And much anger. Today there was peace. There were talks and understanding. There were stern voices but also love. There was organization and respect.
Soccer this season has been different. Not only do I have a lot of 7 and 8 year old soccer players in my group, but conflicting personalities do not always get along. But they are incredibly vibrant souls. And we do not always know how to manage our anger. So we have been working on complimenting but also setting very stern...
handwritten on May 3, 2019
Today I was driving home from school and flooded by the thoughts of all I had to do this weekend, out of the corner of my eye I noticed I was driving through what looked like paradise. The grass was literally emerald green. The light was shining. There were flowers blooming from the trees, and I felt this sense of enchantment that I have not felt in quite some time. What really caught my eye though were the dandelions sporadically growing here and there inside this emerald beauty. Little spurts of sunshine creating a pathway on the green runway.
My mind was immedietely brought back to a poem I had modeled for my students earlier (a Haiku actually) where I took the topic of "weeds" and...
handwritten on May 2, 2019
"Go the Extra Mile"
"The Journey of a Mile Begins with One Step.."
"Before you criticize...walk a mile in my shoes"
I've always found whimsy in shoes. Partially, I think this is because shoes tend to reflect our personalities as people. The shoe someone is wearing says a lot about them. Always polished? Perhaps incredibly organized. Mismatched? Perhaps detail-oriented in a different way.
For me, I tend to wear out my shoes until you cannot walk with them anymore. I've worn shoes with the soles flapping and detached, the spring rain seeping through. I've worn shoes that have been worn from so many times of running and hitting the pavement that there is simply no traction left. Shoes without...
handwritten on May 1, 2019
I'm not sure what it is, but more than ever, I do feel like we are creating a society where we all live in separated bubbles. And, sometimes, even when bubbles bump into eachother softly, the bubble-makers don't even feel that potential tap of another world or a new environment, a challenged idea or a new situation. If you have ever seen a young child play outside with a large bubble wand, you see the whimsy. It's that feeling of creating something so mystical, so empowering that every stage from the making to the watching to the chasing to the popping is something to behold. And I think what's even more, is watching those youngsters chase the bubble to see where it goes and where it flows...
