I understand the importance of standards; but when they
overpower what we believe, and know is good teaching I get scared. Very scared.
It is very unlikely that many of the students I have taught over the
years will end up as a published poet, but that doesn’t mean that poetry
writing should be eliminated from the classroom. Kids love writing poetry; especially, boys
because writing rules can be bent and even broken. In just a few lines their emotions are down
on paper. They feel successful, and
engaged. Would the following book been
written if Mr. Alexander’s teachers hadn’t let him write poetry in class?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVvYfAAQg9g_zeXYdV_m5D_X8AmVtCilsWkZbLOxuwyRmTcb5NR6em0EO4m_uUKEHOxEiVFAXnLCNEluwEPJ6lczzEWPFKgam6iu3D7obNA2QuGfi5RDmNeBSlqj2pnPu_SfkN5FzRhs/s1600/kalexander-19-7.jpg)
Every once in awhile a book comes around and I start a list
of whom I want to share the book with.
This is one of those books. I can
see my friend Carol using this book with a small group of fifth grade to middle
school boys at her school. I can see
Liam reading it and sharing it with his friends at middle school. I can see my friend Jennifer reading aloud to
her fifth class.