Haiku of Peace by Peter E. (6th grade) A bark for a bite. Just a bullet for a life. A hug ends it all. Helpful Haiku by Aydin A. (6th grade) Here is a haiku There’s seven syllables here And there is five here Earth by Eleanor F. (6th grade) The cold moon…
by Harriet Riley “Why is the berry red?” “Why is the bark gone on this side of the tree?” “Where do the squirrels go at night?” “Why is the path all dug up?” “If he could talk, what would the turtle say to me?” City kids have a lot of questions when they experience a…
Nice Poetry by Isabella C. (3rd grade) I am a small child with a big imagination. I am a beautiful black horse hiding in the night. I am a dolphin jumping out of the ocean in a sunset of fire. I am a beautiful aroma soaring through the sky, making the world follow me. I…
By Matthew Daddona Marty Skoble, who, for the last 42 years has been the recognizable, cheery face of Saint Ann’s School, climbs the stairs two at a time to arrive at his first class of the morning. He’s 77 years old, and not an ounce of time is wasted on recounting his glory days. On…
Light by Cerentha (3rd grade) I am the glittering pool of light forged by the full moon in the lake on a dark, dark night. I am the twinkling stars in the sky, glowing so bright, though I’m not sure why. I am the sparkling gems underground, some of them pointy and some of them…
by Matthew Burgess This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned Eugene. I remember exactly where he sat, second row back, in the seventh-grade class as PS 187. I remember his laser-beam smirk as I read aloud from Joe Brainard’s book, and before I could send the students into their own lists of “I remembers,” Eugene…
By Sheryl Lain I’d always jotted observations about my high school classroom and the students, but I didn’t consider these entries real writing, and I certainly wouldn’t want anyone else’s eyes but my own racing across the lines of words. Natalie Goldberg’s story in her book Writing Down the Bones changed all that. She told…
by Matthew Sharpe Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, I wanted to do something with my two Columbia University creative writing classes that addressed the disaster we had all just experienced. Each of the lessons I planned for my first class went awry. I began by asking my students to free write for five…
By Matthew Burgess “The best way to help children write freely is by encouragement, by examples, and by various other inspiring means.” — Kenneth Koch, Wishes, Lies, and Dreams “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” — Pablo Picasso If you walk into a room full…
By Javan Howard Grades: 6–8 Genre: Poetry Themes: Race, Identity, and Stereotype Download: Who Am I? Exploring Stereotypes and Identity through Poetry LESSON PLAN Warm-Up (5 minutes): Define the Quote: Distribute Audre Lorde quote on index cards. Have students turn to those nearest them to discuss the quote: If I didn’t define myself for…