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2 Small Reads Roundups for Right Now!
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m off the grid, filling the creative well right now (and SO excited about it!). But I did want to point y’all toward 2 Small Reads Roundups that might be useful for you if you’re a teacher. Follow the links to find boatloads
I Can’t Say for Sure
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was the bop poem, and I didn’t like it. It’s a longer (to me) form, and I liked a few of the examples I read, but it’s not a form that calls out to me. But,
Hidden Life #PoetryFriday
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) Before I share my little poem this week, here are a few things: Joy Moore shares an example of the purposeful use of mixed meter in We Belong at her blog yesterday! Thanks, Joy! And Kathy Temean shares the behind-the-scenes journey of We Belong here,
The Deadliest (a phrase acrostic)
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I really feel it’s impossible that it’s the end of July! I’ve done 8 library storytimes, had a sister visit for 10 days from Florida (whee!), gone to Duluth, MN, for a bit of recharge and research, and worked on a variety of
Waiting for News
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was a byr a thoddaid, a Welsh form. Last Thursday, my husband and I went on a road trip to see Tears for Fears in Chicago! Awesome concert. On the way, I wrote or worked on
We Belong and Social-Emotional Learning
I am SO delighted to be featured on children’s author Judy Bradbury’s blog today! She’s featuring We Belong and focusing on some ideas to support social-emotional learning. I hope you’ll visit! [My Classroom Connections posts share a way to connect one of my books or poems to a classroom topic–often something timely that you might
My Face, Space, and Picture Day
Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’ve missed you guys the past few weeks! I’m dropping in this week to share my poem from Tabatha Yeatts’ fabulous Imperfect II — poems about perspective: an anthology for middle schoolers. I have now had two poems centered on insecurity and picture day at
Kids + Equation Poems = Awesome! #ClassroomConnections
I love seeing student equation poems—they always make me smile when I see them on social media. Unfortunately, after I reply with enthusiasm, I usually just move on. What I should be doing is sharing them here, so that other educators can see how to use Snowman-Cold=Puddle as a mentor text. I’m vowing to get
NPM2022 Day 31: If You Want to Know the Secret of You
Haha–seriously, I misread the calendar and prepared a post for the 31st (nonexistent) day of April. Oh well. Poetic license? We made it! A sticky note poem every day in April! Thanks for stopping by periodically to read and comment :>) Here’s one more secret poem to go with the two earlier this week. For
NPM2022 Day 30: If You Want to Know the Secret of a Pocket
Here’s another poem, like Thursday’s, that merges Patricia Franz’s idea of learning secrets by listening with a topic from In the Middle of the Night. Art is by Angela Matteson :>) For this one, I thought of what I might have in my pocket and then what sounds could be associated with that. I thought
Day 29: How Gratitude Is Like an Inflatable Kayak
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, our Poetry Princess challenge was to write inspired by poet Taylor Mali. I enjoy hearing Taylor Mali’s work–and attended a virtual workshop with him a couple of months ago! But I like to write short, and spoken word poetry is not
NPM2022 Day 28: If You Want to Know the Secret of Perfume
You guys, I’ve been heartsick this week over the stories of a horrific crime in our region. A crime against a 10-year-old girl. And it’s reminding me again of my need to escape into books, stories, and poems. Reading them, writing them, celebrating them. I’m so grateful for everyone who puts beauty into the world.
NPM2022 Day 27: My Month in Water
For Classroom Connections Wednesday, I’ve got a sticky note poem inspired by one of my books, Water Can Be… (boatloads of activities on my book page). I used the same phrase construction, called a kenning, that I use a lot in the book. Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if
NPM2022 Day 26: Silly Radish
Sticking with yesterday’s radish connection, today’s sticky note poem is just a silly little wordplay. The linguistics part of my brain can’t stand that the consonants aren’t doubled before all those ‑ishes. Saddish, etc. But the poetry part of my brain insisted that these made up words look exactly like radish. You can see which
NPM2022 Day 25: Souvenir
Today’s sticky note poem is an acrostic about my favorite souvenir, which is a bowl bought in Iceland. Thanks for reading, and happy National Poetry Month! And if you ended up here by chance, fantastic! Here are a few links you might find helpful. Intro to what I’m doing this National Poetry Month ALL
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Are You Looking For?
Go to my Poetry page for:
- National Poetry Month projects through the years
- Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
- Introductions to several favorite poetry forms