Today, I looked for a poem and, after some searching, settled on this one by Betsy Franco. I had not heard of her before, but the poem is interesting. I wondered what my students would have thought of it.
The poem is playful and inviting. People want to play and explore the world they inhabit with others and we are often left surprised by what we discover.
Franco points out the paradox of the words we use and inanimate objects like chairs, clocks, and kites come alive. Perhaps, in the minds of children, they do live. Maybe words and language are less of an impediment to children. They are present to a world that is fantastic and subject to a myriad of interpretations.
The chair has
arms.
The clock,
a face.
The kites have
long and twirly tails.
The tacks have
heads.
The books have
spines.
The toolbox has
a set of nails.
Our shoes have
tongues,
the marbles,
eyes.
The wooden desk has
legs and seat.
The cups have
lips.
My watch has
hands.
The classroom rulers all have
feet.
Heads, arms hands, nails,
spines, legs, feet, tails,
face, lips, tongues, eyes.
What a surprise!
Is our classroom alive?
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About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
I enjoyed this lively study on words, Ivon. Crossword puzzles are good, too, for reminding us of the many human parts in inanimate objects. I liked this poem, thank you.
You are welcome Jet. Crossword puzzles and poetry make an interesting coupling.
This was fun. I love to write – but not poetry! I have written one poem in my adult life. That is about to change. I head to a poetry workshop on Tuesday. I’m already nervous!
I had students who learned to use poetry to keep notes. I told them to forget about grammar, spelling, capitals, etc. Once they relaxed, they were fine and it became fun for them. Good luck.
poet I am expecially happy with the way the information is pesented as a poem and as information! Lovely, Blessings and Best regards, Tasha
Dear Dear, I didn’t reread this before I posted it! What I said originally was: Thank you so much for this wonderful poem. As a poet I am especially happy with the way the information is presented as a poem and as information. Lovely! Blessings and Best Regards, Tasha
Thank you Tasha.
adorable
I loved this title, as it brought the fun of naming the body parts of inanimate objects into the studiousness and participatory aspect of learning. How simply an awareness of our language teaches us about how we model the world, and ourselves!
It is an eye catcher and made me want to read the p0em.