TEACHER

A walker a talker a corridor stalker

A leader director and tactful corrector

A role model tutor a whiz with computer

A natural persuader a daily first aider

A reader a writer reports all nighter

A printer protector a problem deflector

A marker a setter a sender of letter

A natural orator a known confiscator

A divider decider a spare pen provider

A cutter a sticker a fair minded picker

A debater relater smile reinstater

A pairer a carer a lesson preparer

A defender a lender a broker and mender

A creator inventor inspiring mentor

A smiler a filer a stay back a whiler

A parent reminder lost property finder

A keen finder outer and sometimes a shouter

A describer reviser a trip organiser

A thinker a winker a covered in inker

An on your sider and staff room resider

THAT’S WHAT MAKES A TEACHER

I AM AN ALWAYS INSPIRING

I am an ….

Always inspiring

Smile bringing

Hug giving

Book reading

Song singing

Mind developing

Imagination encouraging

Skills fostering

Child nurturing

Life changing

TEACHER

WHAT’S IN YOUR BACKPACK

What’s in your backpack ?

It’s empty today

Where’s your work ?

Did you just play ?

When I built with blocks

I learnt about shapes

I balanced I shared

Our skyscraper was great

I played in the windy house

And talked with my friends

I rocked a baby

And played pretend

In science I observed

Guessed and experimented too

The same things

Grown up scientists do

Art was messy

I created and explored

I solved my own problem

When I spilled glue on the floor

My fingers got a workout

With puzzles and clay

Those same muscles

Will help me write one day

I counted and sorted

And measured too

I used my brain

Like a math whiz would do

Out on the playground

I ran like the wind

I learned to take turns

And helped a hurt friend

Story time is what

I always like best

I can use my imagination

And give my body a rest

I sang and danced

Learned a fingerplay too

I answered questions

And said “please” and “thank you”

There will be time for worksheets and tests

But talking and playing

Is how I learn best

I love to go to school

I am glad I’m me

An empty backpack

Means I’m learning you see

(Written by Dr. Jean)

THE RING

Always a constant on the working hand

Engraved in a memory since forever

Reminder of solid gold and goodness

Imbedded in the richness of our lives

The almost perfect work ethic

But with leeway to err

The high expectation

The fullness of love

My heart breaks with thoughts

Unravelling because of the ring

No amount of explanation will do

It just needed to settle within

And in time a chance to say thank you

Beyond grateful

Glad I had a season of wearing it

(Written by Carry Paterson)

BOTH SIDES NOW

Rows and flows of angel hair

And ice cream castles in the air

And feather canyons everywhere

Looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun

They rain and they snow on everyone

So many things I would have done

But clouds got in my way

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down and still somehow

It’s cloud illusions I recall

I really don’t know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels

The dizzy dancing way that you feel

As every fairy tale comes real

I’ve looked at love that way

But now it’s just another show

And you leave ’em laughing when you go

And if you care don’t let them know

Don’t give yourself away

I’ve looked at love from both sides now

From give and take and still somehow

It’s love illusions that I recall

I really don’t know love at all

Really don’t know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud

To say ” I love you” right out loud

Dreams and schemes and circus crowds

I’ve looked at life that way

Oh but now old friends they’re acting strange

And they shake their heads and they tell me that

I’ve changed

Well something’s lost but something’s gained

In living every day

I’ve looked at life from both sides now

From win and lose and still somehow

It’s lifes illusions I recall

I really don’t know life at all

It’s lifes illusions that I recall

I really don’t know life

I really don’t know life at all

(Written by Joni Mitchell)

OLD WORDS

We need to teach children the old words

words like brabble and grubble

twitter-light and clinkerbell

words which dance and trip and slip

and drip like honey off the tongue

Teach them that a hazy halo of a cloud

aound the moon is called a moonbroch

and that swiftly moving clouds are named cairies

how a vixen’s wedding Is a sunny shower of rain

and that a single sunbeam breaking through a thick cloud

is known as a messenger

Teach them to know the seasons and scents

of queen of the meadow and bride of the sun

how to tell Jupiter’s staff from fairy fingers

and which roses bloom with the strawberry moon

Teach them to spot pricklebacks in the tottlegrass

How to recognise a smeuse or a bishop-barnaby

when to watch the sky for flittermice and yaffles

and to pay attention to the dumbledore and mousearnickle

as she graces the lazy leahs of summer

Teach them a few of the old Sussex words for mud

like gubber and slub and stodge and pug

so they know that the precious soil beneath their toes

is anything but worthless dirt

Teach them to be users and keepers and makers

of the words which bring the land alive

a storybook where everything has its rightful place

including us

where the wilds are fearful and filled with magic

and people do noble things

and nothing is impossible

In this world of harsh new words

words like planetary dysmorphia and solastalgia

extinction debt and grief mitigation

megadrought and megafire

anthropogenic, pyrocene

words which alarm and get stuck in our throats

describing a world which our hearts cannot grasp

we need to teach children the old words

so that if they feel lost

the old words might colour for them

a warm and breathing living map

a light to guide them safely home

(Written by Caroline Mellor)

I MET A DRAGON FACE TO FACE

I met a dragon face to face

The year when I was ten

I took a trip to outer space

I braved a pirate’s den

I wrestled with a wicked troll

And fought a great white shark

I trailed a rabbit down a hole

I hunted for a snark

I stowed aboard a submarine

I opened magic doors

I travelled in a time machine

And searched for dinosaurs

I climbed atop a giant’s head

I found a pot of gold

I did all this in books I read

When I was ten years old

(Written by Jack Prelutsky)

A Bird’s Lesson

A little bird with feathers brown

Sat singing in a tree

The song was very soft and low

But sweet as it could be

And all the people passing by

Looked up to see the bird

Whose singing was the sweetest

That they had ever heard

But all the bright eyes looked in vain

As birdie was so small

And with a modest dark brown coat

He made no show at all

“Dear Papa” little Gracie said

“Where can this birdie be ?

If I could only sing like that

I’d sit where folks could see”

“I hope my little girl will learn

A lesson from that bird

And try to do what good she can

Not to be seen nor heard”

“The birdie is content to sit

Unnoticed by the way

And sweetly sing his Maker’s praise

From dawn to close of day”

“So live my child to do some good

Let life be short or long

Though people may forget your looks

They’ll not forget your song”

(Author Unknown)

I LIKE WORDS

I like words

I like fat buttery words

Such as ooze, turpitude, glutinous, toady

I like solemn, angular, creaky words

Such as straight laced, cantankerous, pecunious, valedictory

I like spurious, black-is-white words

Such as mortician, liquidate, tonsorial, demimonde

I like suave V words

Such as Svengali, sveilte, bravura, verve

I like crunchy, brittle, crackly words

Such as splinter, grapple,jostle, crusty

I like sullen, crabbed, scowling words

Such as skulk, glower, scabby, churl

I like Oh-Heavens, my gracious, land’s-sake

Words such as tricksy, tucker, genteel, horrid

I like elegant, flowery words

Such as estivate, peregrinate, elysium, halcyon

I like wormy, squirmy, mealy words

Such as crawl, blubber, squeal, drip

I like sniggly, chuckling words

Such as cowlick, gurgle, bubble and burp

(Written by Robert Pirosh)

THE FLOWER

Once in a golden hour

I cast to earth a seed

Up there came a flower

The people said a weed

To and fro they went

Thro my garden bower

And muttering discontent

Cursed me and my flower

Then it grew so tall

It wore a crown of light

But thieves from o’er the wall

Stole the seed by night

Sow’d it far and wide

By every town and tower

Till all the people cried

“Splendid is the flower !”

Read my little fable

He that runs may read

Most can raise the flowers now

For all have got the seed

And some are pretty enough

And some are poor indeed

And now and then the people

Call it but a weed

(Written by Alfred Lord Tennyson)