On April 19th, I bought my very own copy of Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree. Best decision I've made as a teacher.
At the beginning of this semester, I walked over to the poetry collections in our library, specifically searching for "Little Peggy Ann McKay" (ie, Where the Sidewalk Ends). I was creating an activity for my students where they'd have to draw a giant picture of Peggy Ann McKay on a posterboard showing as many of her "Sick" symptoms as they could.
I had no idea reading this poem would lead to multiple requests to read a poem from this collection at the beginning of each day. :) My pleasure!
As we have been faithfully reading through these poems & discussing Shel's imagination & humor, it dawned on me...
I had referenced one of my favorite books of all time, The Giving Tree, on a few occassions, but had yet to read it to them.
On April 21st, I remedied that. To my delight, it was a hit! I even had one of my 8th graders yell to a gregarious peer:
At the beginning of this semester, I walked over to the poetry collections in our library, specifically searching for "Little Peggy Ann McKay" (ie, Where the Sidewalk Ends). I was creating an activity for my students where they'd have to draw a giant picture of Peggy Ann McKay on a posterboard showing as many of her "Sick" symptoms as they could.
I had no idea reading this poem would lead to multiple requests to read a poem from this collection at the beginning of each day. :) My pleasure!
As we have been faithfully reading through these poems & discussing Shel's imagination & humor, it dawned on me...
I had referenced one of my favorite books of all time, The Giving Tree, on a few occassions, but had yet to read it to them.
On April 21st, I remedied that. To my delight, it was a hit! I even had one of my 8th graders yell to a gregarious peer:
"¡Cállete! Nosotros no podemos oír!" (When I said, "We don't talk like that to each other," he reworded it to "Please don't talk.")
I have read it another time since then and they have begun finishing phrases such as, "And the tree was happy..." :)
I recently decided I'm going to give each of my 8th graders a copy of The Giving Tree for a graduation gift. Everyone should have their very own copy. :)
you are the giving tree, D. As you continue to grow, may the vinedresser continue to trim you and use you so that you bear much fruit in His name. love your nugget face
ReplyDeleteLove this nugget...I think every adult should read The Giving Tree as part of their "life curriculum." You know, just to remind us what's really important. So awesome that your 8th graders might dig out their copies when they leave home to go to college, and remember all the wisdom tucked into that little book!
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