When I think back on the things I learned
I wonder what fragment remains after sixty years
Math and Literature History and Civics
all are fading fast, but there is one skill
I use every day, creating this blog for you…
Typing skills remain
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Stamp Art Typewriter: Dwight L. Roth
d’Verse prompt for Quadrille Monday… type… or a form of the word.
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When I started teaching back in 1969, computers were unheard of, there was no air conditioning, and the front wall of my classroom was covered with black slate chalk boards. It has been a challenging journey navigating through the changes that never cease.
I always tried to incorporate hands on learning in my classroom. We did crafts, had a painting easel, and did lots of cut and paste art work. One year my class had a hot house, raised their own Marigolds and replanted them around the school ground. Then we collected the seeds and saved them for the following year. We watched the mutations from cross-pollination.
As children start back to school, I wonder what Covid-19 and teaching for the test has done to their creativity. I am glad to see them back in the classroom even with the mask precautions. There are things you just can’t learn by virtual learning. It is essential that we don’t forget the importance of hands on learning and playing together.
Days growing shorter
School buses rumble at dawn
Kids can’t wait to learn
Photo; Dwight L. Roth
Today at d’Verse Frank Tassone asked us to write a back to school haibun. I am thankful my teaching days are log past!
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For more stories from my teaching career check out Amazon Kindle:
Children are curious, you know
Until an adult tells them they are not to be
“Don’t touch that, you’ll get your hands dirty”
“I’ll tell you about that when you get older”
“It is not polite to ask such questions”
Curiosity silenced…
Lessons lost
***
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Today is Quadrille Monday at d’Verse. De asked us to write a Quadrille (exactly 44 words) using the word curious.
Join us at https://dversepoets.com
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
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Photos of may students in my early years of teaching. Since then times have changed and our focus seems to be on test results rather than well rounded students. Perhaps this will change as the cycle goes round and round.
For a wonderful example of what real learning can be, check out Forest Kids Learning. It is a fabulous program that does a wonderful job of hand-on learning!
https://www.facebook.com/ForestKidsCanada/
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
I am reposting this one again after thinking through my writing process on yesterday’s post. I am forever thankful for friends, who I mention in my poem, who have urged me to move into the world of writing. Without their encouragement, I would not be writing this blog.
It is such a wonderful thing to be able to learn to know all of you. Your great writing and words of encouragement, given to me in your comments, keep me coming back for more. I have learned so much form all of you at the d’Verse poetry group. I am now writing poetry that I never even heard of two years ago! Thank You All!!
Which poem that I wrote
…stopped you in your tracks
…made you think
of what’s long forgotten
…challenged preconceived notions
or stretched your perspective?
What do you look for
when you read my poetry?
Are you left hanging…
Or pleasantly surprised?
My goal in writing poetry
is to write in such a way
that you will not
have to read it again…
And // you will not be able
to forget what you read
**************
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Shared with d’Verse Poetry Pub for open link night. https://dversepoets.com
The quote from Josh Grobin came from his interview with Dan Rather on The Big Interview at AXS TV.
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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Lillian, at d’Verse, asked us to think about going back to school and then write a poem of six lines about the a b c’s. We had to pick any six letters of the alphabet in sequential order, and write a poem about school. The ornament above was given to me by one of my students back in 1982.
Join us at: https: dversepoets.com
Photos of my students: Dwight L. Roth
This flashback is for Frank Tassone’s Haikai challenge. He asked us to write a poem that included autumn/Labor Day/ School. This is a project I had my students do many years ago. They had to make a bird nest and put a real egg in it. Then they had to find a spot on the school ground where they thought it would be safe. At the end of the week we checked to see how many survived. Fun times before “teaching the test days!”
Join us at: https://frankjtassone.com/2018/09/01/haikai-challenge-49-9-1-18-labor-day-coming-of-autumn-risshuu-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/
You can read more of my stories on Amazon Kindle.
c
I have been pushed and shoved all my life
Thanks to friends who cared…
Seeing more in me than I see in myself
Learning to do more than I could ever imagine
From computers to art // writing memoirs // and poetry
Publishing books on Amazon //and writing a blog…
Things I never imagined ten years ago
Susan // Kym // and Tom
Encouraging // urging // helping me
Opening doors to new worlds of wonder
Imagination that knows no end
Wonderful friends all over the world
Communicating with me every day
Keeping me on the edge of inspiration
Photo: Ruth Roth
Our challenge today comes from Mich at d’Verse. Looking at learning that continues throughout life, she asked us to write a poem telling about something we are learning.
I am forever thankful for friends, whom I mention in my poem, who have urged me to move into the world of writing. Without their encouragement, I would not be writing this blog.
It is such a wonderful thing to be able to learn to know all of you. Your great writing and words of encouragement, given to me in your comments, keep me coming back for more. I have learned so much form all of you at the d’Verse poetry group. I am now writing poetry that I never even heard of two years ago! Thank You All!!
Come join us at d’Verse: hppt://dversepoets.com
Roth Poetry 