During the 2005 – 06 school year I had a student who needed a new pencil every day. We have communal supplies in my classroom, so I had more than enough to give him. HOWEVER, it got totally out of control.
In April 2006, we did something I call Paper Bag Poetry, which is where I put a bunch of everyday items into brown paper bag and allow kids to pick out an item. He picked a pencil! This is the poem he wrote. The finished poem comes first and his rough draft, which didn’t have many line breaks (i.e., before he revised), follows the final.
Pencils by H.G.
I’m always looking for pencils…
I never find them.
I always lose them.
I break them.
I sometimes chew them.
Pencils…
I will never find one.
And now for the first draft.
Pencils
I’m always looking for a pencil.
I never find them. I always lose them.
I break them. I sometimes chew
them. Pencils. I will never find
one.
I hope this poem makes you smile since I’m sure you have a child in your class who is like this too.
is being hosted at Semicolon this week.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 