Some people are genius at following directions. Me, not so good. And the first graders in my care, they take a sideways route. Today’s Verselove prompt was about instructions for writing poetry. That made me think about the way students often start with energy and ideas that seemingly evaporate just when it’s time to begin writing. Luckily, more often than not, they are able to grab those vaporized ideas and allow them to condensate onto the page once the pencil begins to work its magic.
How First Graders Write a Poem or Instructions Ignored
Start with a puzzled look
To keep your teacher on her toes
Then burst into talking
About anything and everything
Redirected and reminded
Consider action
Add in metaphorical thinking
Don’t forget your senses
and a sprinkle of color
Open your notebook
Draw a blank…let all those ideas
Vanish, evaporate, disappear
Pick up your pencil
Trust the magic
Delight in your own ideas
Push past the spelling worries
Until that poem
Blooms
Delight in your words
Read them to your classmates
And smile in satisfaction
@kd0602
Thinking Through My Lens 
Kim, I spent the morning with first graders yesterday. I’m not sure how you do it all day everyday. They were so enthusiastic and total chatter boxes. They went through all the steps you described and came out in the end very proud of what they wrote. Thanks for continuing to inspire me in my teaching.
Some days I’m not sure how I do it either! The best part is the enormous growth that first graders make over the course of the school year — it’s not subtle (and neither are they!).