Indeed, we did. And we wrote poems about summer in Morgantown and what might be in the little yellow box I brought and what things will be like when we “get our own lives.” This was Woodburn Elementary, Miss Dennison’s class, and MFA students Christina Rothenbeck, Lisa Beans, Aaron Rote, and I felt very tall. And wow, was there a lot of stuff in that room. Talk about sensory overload. Did anyone else notice the microscopes lined up on that table in the corner? Should have used those to talk about poetry…
And I can now say for certain that 4th graders really do know how to write—spelling and grammar and sensory details and surprising juxtapositions and everything. What happens between 4th grade and college, I have no idea, but nine- and ten-year-olds are poets. As one boy in my pod wrote, summer is fun, growing up might be cool, but even now “I am rejoicing."
Indeed, we did. And we wrote poems about summer in Morgantown and what might be in the little yellow box I brought and what things will be like when we “get our own lives.” This was Woodburn Elementary, Miss Dennison’s class, and MFA students Christina Rothenbeck, Lisa Beans, Aaron Rote, and I felt very tall. And wow, was there a lot of stuff in that room. Talk about sensory overload. Did anyone else notice the microscopes lined up on that table in the corner? Should have used those to talk about poetry…
And I can now say for certain that 4th graders really do know how to write—spelling and grammar and sensory details and surprising juxtapositions and everything. What happens between 4th grade and college, I have no idea, but nine- and ten-year-olds are poets. As one boy in my pod wrote, summer is fun, growing up might be cool, but even now “I am rejoicing."
Hells yes to the little yellow box! You guys rock.
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