Inspiration: Write about smells that you love, hate, remind you of this or that, give you hope or make you sad. Of course, write about anything on your mind or in your heart today. Add your poem to the comments below. I love the smell of …
4. April 4th, Knock, Knock
Inspiration (not that you need it): A knock on the door. Perhaps today’s poem can tell about a visitor who literally knocked on your door (friend, neighbor, family, stranger), or perhaps you will imagine the things and people who knock on the figurative doors in …
3. April 3rd, Things we carry
Inspiration (not that you need it): What do you carry? In a day, in our life, we carry a great many things; write a poem about the things you carry (or do not carry). These can be concrete objects or more abstract things like emotions or …
2. April 2nd, If children ruled the world
Today’s inspiration: What if children ruled the world? Write a poem that imagines this scenario? Consider making this phrase repeat two or three times in the poem. Post your poem in the comment section below. Of course, you may write about anything you wish.
1. April 1st, The Best Part of You
Welcome to day one! Today’s inspiration: What is the best part of you? Write a descriptive poem about your favorite part of you. Here are a few bullet points to get you started. describe what your best part looks like — size, color, shape, texture …
30 Poems: A Celebration of Poetry Begins April 1st
The 30 Poems Celebration begins April 1st! Let’s celebrate together all that poetry does for our hearts, minds, and humanity. This month-long celebration is all about helping people write poems in a supportive, virtual space. Anyone can participate — life-long poets, new-to-the-craft poets, rhymers, free-versers, musings-writers. …
Four Hallway Haiku
I could feel the fever spiking. And my blood was simmering. It was the week before spring break, and the symptoms of cabin fever among the students were spreading. They’d submitted their final portfolios –letters to parents with hyperlinks to all their learning for the past …
In Defense of Civic Engagement in Schools
By Brian Charest, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Redlands, School of Education Last week, we saw firsthand the incredible democratic potential and power of civic engagement. Hundreds of thousands of students across the country, in places like Los Angeles and Chicago, from New York to Parkland, and …
A Teacher’s Needs: Time for a Self-Assessment
About two months ago, I began the new year with my junior high English students in not setting resolutions — those never seem to work well — but by choosing one word to help us change, improve, and be, well, better in the new year– all …
Beginning and Nurturing Reading Lives by Jaime Lewandowski
How It Began It was awkward at first: we knew that parents-to-be could read to their unborn child throughout pregnancy, but it felt strange for 30-somethings to be reading Dr. Seuss on the couch at night. Even the dogs looked at us funny. And when …