This past week has been rather hectic for me, as I have three lesson plans due during the same week! To say I am busy and a bit overwhelmed is an understatement, but I guess that is just a day in the life of an aspiring elementary teacher!
For this week's blog, I decided to venture into the world of poetry. I chose to read A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. I did not read the entire book, but I chose a few poems from each section. Stevenson lets us into the side of his life that was sad and lonely, as he was ill during most of his childhood years; however, he also lets us in on his adventurous memories of childhood, which gives us a glimpse of a child's imagination. I am going to share two of my favorite poems that I read from this book and discuss them a bit.
"Whole Duty of Children"
A CHILD should always say what’s true
And speak when he is spoken to,
And behave mannerly at table:
At least as far as he is able.
Stevenson wrote this poem in the section of the book that pertained to the time that he was sick as a child. As a future teacher, I personally related this poem to children with disabilities. As a society, we set standards for children, adolescents, and adults. A child can only perform to his capabilities and should not be expected to perform to a standard that is not reasonable for them. Pertaining to this poem, a child should behave with manners and be respectful to others, but only to the extent that they are able to behave and be respectful. This can be directly related to the classroom, as children with disabilities need to be placed in an environment that is the least restrictive for them. This also applies to different grade levels as well, as we cannot expect a Kindergarten student to behave in the same manner has a fifth-grade student.
"Autumn Fires"
IN the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!
Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The gray smoke towers.
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!
Stevenson wrote this poem simply about the changing seasons. He mentions that during the summer, the flowers bloom, and in the fall, the bonfires blaze. I definitely associate these things with the two seasons discussed in this poem, and it flooded my mind with exciting memories of past summer and fall seasons. This poem mentions, "Sing a song of seasons! Something bright in all!" I interpreted this poem as a reminder that in each season of our life, whether good or bad, we can always find something positive to celebrate. Relating that idea back to the classroom, we can always find something positive in each student to praise them for. Yes, this can be difficult sometimes, but trying to find the good in the situation will always help it turn out for the better!
Though I am not a huge poetry fan, I did enjoy reading Stevenson's poems, and I would encourage you to check them out as well!
Have a great week,
Ashton
Wow Ashton! Another great post. I have never read any of his work, but it sounds very interesting. I would like to read this book now that you have brought it to my attention. I really like how you connected it to seasons of our lives and how everything will pass eventually. I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but I do like to read it occasionally. This sounds like a great book for those who are starting out reading it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for including some poems within your post to give us an idea of the poetry style. Reflective and thoughtful post!
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