2/20/15/.

-Where I am From by George Ella Lyon

2:30- 3:09 Room 203
This was an exciting day. It was the first time I tried poetry writing with my first
grade class I room 203. I continued the conversation from art class earlier today. I
reflected on the poem called My People by Langston Hughes. I then explicated
taught-and wrote a poem in live time, called I am from. I was following the
inspiration of the poem where I am from by George Lyons. I gave the students a
prompt to begin each line I am from and I let their creativity do the rest. The
poems were so moving-especially for first grade. I was speechless when Jonathan
wrote I am from Get out and Go away this made me feel immensely sad as his
words spoke to the raw feelings of the constant negative messages he hears when
he is home. I wanted to fix it! I wanted to help him find a silver lining in this
emotional picture. I asked what were the things he loved about his family and he
then wrote I am from my grandmothers love such amazing poetry from such a
young mind! The students had so much more to share verbally then they were able
to write. I made my rounds as I visited each table and tried to help write as the
students dictated their poem. Next I will have the students illustrate their poems in
the upcoming week.
I wrote my own I am from poem and I shared this technique with my two youngest
daughters and they too created a poem called I am from... In as much as I can I
want to share this journey and project with my children because both my students
and my family mean so much to me and influence who I am. This poem evokes
pride in oneself to recall the attributes of your upbringing that have created the
person you have become adding to my cultural identity and to that of my students.