Lainie Levin

Signs of Spring – National Poetry Month Day 6

Signs of Spring The hostas, in hushed whispers Poke their heads from the earth And signal an all-clear The crocus responds Gentle, persistent, Not wishing to interrupt But clear to any who listen And others, in turn, join the crescendo: Daffodil, tulip, forsythia, lilac Silenced, I join the world in The deep, full breath IContinue reading “Signs of Spring – National Poetry Month Day 6”

Do You Remember Me? National Poetry Month, Day 5

Do You Remember Me? You… You, with that faded bonnet, The microscopic handwriting, The comics you drew me, The moldy mess we excavated from your desk, The orange sweatshirt you always wore, The April Fool’s joke you played on the class, How you didn’t speak until February, How your grandma was your rock, How youContinue reading “Do You Remember Me? National Poetry Month, Day 5”

Why I write – Poetry month day 4

Why I Write There is a certain Satisfaction That comes with cooking a good meal. It’s the love stirred in The effort of smelling, tasting, listening, editing Until it seems just right And the hungry ones take it in And where there was once noise There is the quiet Of grateful and appreciative chewing. AndContinue reading “Why I write – Poetry month day 4”

Priorities (National Poetry Month Day 3)

Priorities Sometimes when I shower, I (full of distractions) grip the soap Too tightly, and It pops right out of my hand. I used to Reach for it blindly, Block it with my elbow, Slow it down with my knee, All to keep it from Hitting the shower floor; A valiant effort That many timesContinue reading “Priorities (National Poetry Month Day 3)”

Poetry Month – Entry 2

The Poem I Didn’t Write Was the one about Our favorite tree, The one out front that you can’t get your arms around. The one my boys and I picnic under On lazy summer days while we Watch the drivers Pass life by The tree that grants quiet strength, Steadfast devotion (not unlike myContinue reading “Poetry Month – Entry 2”

Poetry month: poem-a-day challenge

Being that it’s April, I’ve challenged my writers to write a poem for every day of April. In the spirit of doing what I ask my students to do, I’m jumping in. Here’s day 1. April brings showers: Of rain, of spring promise, of words Open up-let it pour.

The Same Coin

When storyteller Yvonne Healy and I taught second and third graders storytelling, we were preparing our students for telling their stories to others. Some, being the little ones they were, showed signs of nervousness. That’s when Yvonne taught them a trick that I’ve used to this day. She took out a penny and held itContinue reading “The Same Coin”

Today’s Riddle

So… What do you get when you cross: A fourth grade class with one kid returning from China, two returning from Aruba, and three kids absent for a field trip; the first day of a third grade unit you had 45 minutes notice for, along with a lock-down drill, all in a room that isn’tContinue reading “Today’s Riddle”

Exhibit B

You know you’re a teacher of gifted kids when you put out a test question that reads: “Robert goes to school at 7:35 and it takes him 45 minutes to get ready. What time should he get up?” and here’s the answer you get:

All in a Day’s Work

I always promise myself I won’t do it. I promise myself I won’t get behind on grading. I promise myself I won’t collect more work than I can reasonably grade. But when you see 37 different students for math alone, and you wait even a day or two to grade their papers, this is howContinue reading “All in a Day’s Work”