POETRY INSPIRATION...

Yesterday I received the January/February issue of South Dakota Magazine. I was especially pleased to discover an article entitled "Seasons of the Moon" by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve.  Katie Hunhoff, the editor, shared how Sneve created haikus for her grandfather's translations of the Lakota seasons to the Gregorian calendar to encourage her students to write poetry.  Here is an example for one of the months:  December: Moon When Horns Break Off.  Sneve's haiku:

Proud trophy falling

Bares majestic sovereign's head

Crown returns with spring

What an interesting way to introduce and teach the haiku! As educators we find inspiration for our teaching all around us.  

CONCRETE POETRY...

One of my greatest joys of being an educator -- even as a "retired" one -- is that I still find opportunities to share my educational experiences.  At a family gathering I was visiting with my grandson who teaches in a middle school.  When he mentioned that he was just about to start a poetry unit, I asked him if he was familiar with concrete poetry since I thought it might be an interesting way to introduce his students to the unit.  He wasn't familiar with the form -- and perhaps it might be new to other educators.  Check out this website  https://www.poetryfoundation.org for some interesting examples.

I also would suggest another way to create interest in writing poetry would be to try blackout poetry.  Probably the best known resource is https://austinkleon.com/category/newspaper-blackout-poems/
However, I would recommend checking out this site too: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/john-depasquale/blackout-poetry/

I have used both of these techniques with all ages and found the results to be quite powerful.

ENHANCING THE 5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY...

Muriel and I have been putting together some useful materials for those of you who are ready to go beyond the 5 paragraph essay with your students. We strongly feel that there are many of you out there that want to see your students' writing become more interesting to read but are not quite sure of how to go about changing their style.

Our podcasts are meant to get your students to look at essays in a whole new way by building on what they have already learned about essay writing. We start out very simply with how to create engaging introductions - how to hook the reader.

The second podcast targets effective conclusions and transitions and the third addresses different ways to organize an essay. We use student examples as well as our own and published writing to show the effectiveness of making slight changes to the 5-paragraph essay. All three can be found on Spotify or use the attached link.

Titles:

•Breaking the Barriers of the 5 Paragraph Essay - Introductions

•Writing Conclusions With the Help of Mentor Texts

•Organization and the 5 Paragraph Essay

Breaking the Barriers of the 5 Paragraph Essay

WRITING: MEMORIES OF WINTER...

This is a difficult time of year – happy and festive with all of the holidays.  Gathering together with loved ones on Thanksgiving and Christmas is wonderful.  It is especially joyous to welcome new family members.  However, it is also a sad time of year – remembering our family members who have passed on and realizing how quickly time is moving on.

Thankfully, I have vivid memories of these holidays of past years.  One wonderful picture shows my four younger brothers decked out in colorful winter pajamas lining the stairs in our family home.  Another picture captures the mounds of snow piled up in the center of Main Street.  I grew up in a small South Dakota town, and clearing the streets after a snowfall meant depositing the snow between the two lanes of traffic – as winter went on the “mountain” between continued to grow.  It was a fun place to climb – if one were careful about the traffic!

Still another memory that surfaces is my dad hooking up our sleds behind the car and taking us for exciting, bumpy rides around the area. We also used to drive the car down onto the frozen river and spin around!  I don’t think we worried much about the dangers of our activities then!

I especially enjoy receiving holiday cards/letters from friends and relatives – it’s so great to renew connections.

So put on the holiday music, trim the tree, and decorate the house – and enjoy this special season!

Wishing you all a joyous season -- Muriel