There is a certain kind of overwhelm that enters the classroom when the number of remaining school days drops below 30. Student learning skyrockets with confidence at its maximum–these should be the glory days. But at the same time, spring brings forth the “too big for your britches” behaviors that make teaching hard. Maybe it’s a defense students develop to inoculate themselves against the pain of leaving this classroom that has become oh-so-comfortable.

While Barbara over at Verselove offered an invitation to write a things to do poem, I’m not sure my poem turned out so things to do-ish. Luckily, likes moms and childbirth, teachers mostly forget the pain and remember the joys that come from teaching. As I ended today’s teaching day by having students share their 16-word poems inspired by William Carlos Williams, some of the earlier frustrations with less than stellar classroom behaviors were erased. I’m thinking maybe I should call this a Things I’ve Learned poem.

Things to Do: Spring Version

Bees buzzing

flower to blossom to bud

classroom’s a-buzz too

pollination taking hold, growth is everywhere

Poems sprouting

first graders composing

in their heads

fingers counting

how many words did William Carlos Williams use?

Tasks multiplying

let’s change access to the

report card system

as T3 opens and assessments pour in

12 characters or is it 16 for that new password?

Holding want-tos and have-tos

balancing the 26 days remaining

planning lessons that will be scrapped

in the frenzy of endings

and beginnings

building new classrooms with the students

we haven’t yet let go

@kd0602