For the past week, I’ve been at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project August Reading Institute. Every educator deserves to spend a week learning from the passionate, brilliant people here. Each day, keynote speakers share their latest thinking about reading and reading instruction.
The message this week has been loud and clear: WE ARE WHAT WE READ
Matt de la Peña told us on Tuesday that he believes the job of a young person is to “discover the different possibilities that are in front of you.” If a young person is a nonreader those possibilities are very limited.
Stephanie Harvey implored us to “table the labels.” A student is not a number or a letter. A student is a human being with hopes and dreams and desires. When we label them and allow them to read only books that match that label, we are limiting the possibilities they see for themselves. That is unconscionable.
With all this in mind, this poem, by Naomi Shihab Nye, seemed especially appropriate to share and keep in our minds and hearts as we head back to our classrooms.
“The Young Poets of Winnipeg”
by Naomi Shihab Nye
scurried around a classroom papered with poems.
Even the ceiling, pink and orange quilts of phrase…
They introduced one another, perched on a tiny stage
to read their work, blessed their teacher who
encouraged them to stretch, wouldn’t let their parents
attend the reading because parents might criticize,
believed in the third and fourth eyes, the eyes in
the underside of leaves, the polar bears a thousand miles north,
and sprouts of grass under the snow. They knew their poems
were glorious, that second-graders could write better
that third or fourth…
Read the rest of the poem here.
Wishing you all a wonderful school year! Please be sure to visit Julieanne at To Read To Write To Be for the Poetry Friday Roundup.
Reading to the Core 
‘the eyes in the underside of leaves’ – How perfect.
And how wonderful to have a teacher in-service opportunity with Matt de la Peña. No wonder you are inspired.
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I love that poem. An inspiring and passionate community is the very best, especially if poetry is involved. 🙂
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As hard as I try to instill a love of writing in my students, it is the younger ones who thrive and flourish, who love the act of putting ideas down. The older ones have so many judging demons on their shoulders. How do I keep the love of language alive?
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I so needed this poem and your reflection on your week at TC. The “measuring sticks” that cripple and clip their wings. Here’s to a year of nurturing our readers and writers.
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the measuring sticks that came out of nowhere…
Yes, this is what we do to our kids, and how sad that we do.
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Naomi Shihab Nye is a treasure! Thanks for sharing this with us — I don’t think I’d seen it before.
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Table the labels indeed! Love the sentiment and the poem which so aptly shows what you do when do table them (or bin them).
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What an inspiring week that must have been, Catherine! Thank you for sharing the perfect poem to carry us into the new school year.
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I love Naomi Shihab Nye. And your conference sounds wonderful. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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oh, those measuring sticks! I’m listening to The Element by SirKen Robinson. He would love this poem! I intend to listen to The Element each summer before heading back to school. It’s like a “fight song” for teachers of curiosity & creativity!
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Yes, ban those labels. What a great discussion to have with teachers. Best wishes to you as we begin again!
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Thanks so much for introducing me to this new-to-me poem of Naomi Shihab Nye. Her poems always strike a chord within me. Those measuring sticks…. On a more positive note, it sounds like you had an amazing experience at TC. Wishing you a wonderful start to the school year!
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