Chapter 5: Poetry

Poetry...I am not a big fan of it, nor did I get excited when it was ever discussed.  For some reason I could never get into it, nor could I understand what the poet was talking about.  Needless to say, I dreaded reading poems in English class, even worse, writing it!  If I did not understand it, how could I write it? 

My 3rd grade teacher Ms. Gilbert would read Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends."  I think that was the only time I can say I enjoyed poetry.  The poems were so much fun and I enjoyed listening and reading his books. 

In Chapter 5, Looking Back Into your History with Poetry, I read the very first sentence, "Before you can generate enthusiasm for poetry in your students, you need to love it yourself."  I thought, "Great, how am I supposed to do that!"  As I continued to read, I felt as if they were speaking of my experiences with poetry and not just mine, many people who feel the same way about this genre.  Now that I think about it, I believe that maybe my teacher's may have not had "an enthusiasm" for poetry and/or may have chosen poetry that was too sophisticated for us.  I have viewed poetry as a cryptic work puzzle (like the book states).  I've read poems over and over thinking if I kept reading it I would understand it.  When the teacher asked the class what we got from it, I never raised my hand because I had no clue.  I would usually just listen to my classmates' opinions.  Sometimes they got it and other times they were off and I didn't feel too bad for not understanding it.  Like I mentioned before, I don't like writing poems and it could also be that my previous teachers didn't lay the groundwork for writing poetry or provide that support I needed.  I am not saying that my teachers were horrible because I didn't enjoy poetry, I am just realizing that maybe they too did not enjoy it.  If they didn't enjoy it, it may have a lot to do with how I was taught and the experiences I had.

I feel an obligation to change the experiences I had for my future students.  The books mentions that, "We need to change our approach" and to do this, we as teachers need to create an environment where children have positive experiences with poetry like using words in fun and interesting ways.  Poet Constance Levy suggested the we "take time to read lots of good poetry written especially for children."  By doing this, we as teachers will share our discoveries with our students and in turn this will "ignite our love" of poetry and will nuture our students' responses to poetry. 

Since this chapter was on poetry, I decided to find some childern's authors that write it.  I found a website called http://www.poetry4kids.com/.  This website has a lot of activities for kids to do and may help them enjoy reading and writing it.  Author Ken Nesbitt is the creator of this site and here are two books of his poetry books. 

Meet the misbehaving robots, not-so-smart dogs, and angry vegetables who feature in Kenn Nesbitt's hilarious collection of clever wordplay that is sure to keep kids laughing and loving poetry all year long.

Don't Ever Bite Your Sister


Don't ever bite your sister.
Don't kick her in the shin.
Don't slap your sister silly
and don't sock her on the chin.


Don't tape a "Kick Me" poster
upon your sister's back.
Don't take your stinky socks off
and then put them in her pack.


Don't purchase plastic spiders
and place them on her head.
Don't leave your rubber rattlesnake
inside your sister's bed.


Don't do this to your sister
for, if you ever do,
I'm pretty sure she may do something
even worse to you.

Get ready to laugh as you discover the wonderfully zany poetry of Kenn Nesbitt! You'll read about the world's fastest bicycle and meanest pirate ever. You'll meet a marching band of musical ants, and a dragon who can't blow out his birthday candles. You'll learn how not to play with your food, and why you can't bring a camel to school. Children and adults alike will want to read these poems again and again.