Mrs. Huff's Stuff: Authors and Artists Writing Club!: December 2012

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Thanksgiving Time

To celebrate Thanksgiving, I read this poem to my classes, and gave them a copy to keep:

Thanksgiving
Thank You
for all my hands can hold--
apples red,
and melons gold,
yellow corn
both ripe and sweet,
peas and beans
so good to eat!

Thank You
for all my eyes can see--
lovely sunlight,
field and tree,
white cloud-boats
in sea-deep sky,
soaring bird
and butterfly.

Thank You
for all my ears can hear--
birds' song echoing
far and near,
songs of little
stream, big sea,
cricket, bullfrog,
duck and bee!
Ivy O'Eastwick

I love this poem because of its harvest theme in stanza one and the emphasis on nature overall. Ivy O'Eastwick focused on three out of the five senses when she thought about things she was thankful for. The students discussed the fact that the poet is not thankful for modern day inventions or material things, but rather beautiful and healthy things in nature.

So, this assignment was very open-ended. My younger students were given a small poster with the words, "I am thankful for" at the top of the page, and were instructed to draw a scene depicting things they were thankful for. They came up with some beautiful works of art.

This one is by Zara, 3rd grade. Such wonderful things to be thankful for!

This one is by Alexandria, 1st grade. I love the scene she drew!

My older students were given an even more open-ended assignment. They looked at me slightly in shock when I said they could do a writing and art assignment of their own choice, inspired by the poem and what it made them think about. Some chose to make posters, others wrote poems, and some even wrote paragraphs on the five senses. Their work was fantastic, and I hope you enjoy these fabulous pieces.

Touch

I am thankful for my ability to touch because I love to play and pet my dog's fluffy, smooth, soft fur. I enjoy running my fingers through the wet, slick grass.

Smell

I am thankful for my ability to smell because I love to smell a fresh hot waffle with warm maple syrup. I also am jubilant when I catch the aroma right after it has rained.

Taste

I am thankful for my ability to taste because I love to eat new, pure, and nutritious tomatoes. The taste is fabulous. I love the taste of sweet, tangy, juicy pineapples.

Hear

I am thankful for my ability to hear because I love to hear my mom vacuuming. I also have the pleasure of hearing my friends laughing at my funny jokes.

Sight

I am thankful for my ability to see because I love to see my pets' faces. I enjoy seeing myself do something useful on my sport's team because it makes me feel fabulous!

Thank you!

By Ellery (5th grade)

Thanksgiving
By Abby (5th grade)

I am thankful for everything and everyone my pair of eyes can see-

My dogs, my family, who keeps me safe and free.

My house, my school, the places where I learn,

The sunlight, the ocean, and plaints like a fern.

Thank you.

I am thankful for everything my one nose can smell-

My favorite fruits, nature, on the beach the shells.

The trees, dictionaries, and the smell of Major's fur,

Pineapples, my grandma, how she smells when I hug her.

Thank you.

I am thankful for my ability to taste sweet foods.

Strawberries and blueberries put me in a good mood.

Corn, apples, cucumbers, and figs.

Rice, potatoes, and melons extra big.

Thank you.

I am thankful for my ability to touch many things.

Dog fur, pencils, and books for reading.

Soccer balls, basketballs, and volleyballs as well,

Cherries, flowers, they make me feel swell.

Thank you.

I am thankful for my hearing ability.

Talking, laughing, the sounds of the city.

Music, sizzling, the strum of a guitar.

Lyrics, the tide, and wind from afar.

Thank you.

Thanksgiving Poem

By Mira (3rd grade)

I am thankful for feeling the cool breeze on a hot day,

the touch of the engraved smooth tree trunk,

as I run my hands over it.

I am thankful for seeing the bright, blue sky,

the sight of the hummingbird gathering pollen.

I am thankful for the sound of the rushing waves

on the seashore,

the flutter of a ladybug's wings.

I am thankful for the taste of tomatoes, apricots, bananas,

the flavor of orange and ripe pumpkins, melons, and squash.

I am thankful for the smell of minty pine leaves,

the aroma of the fresh morning dew

glistening on the leaves.

Thank you.

About the Teacher

Mrs. Huff has taught Language Arts for over 20 years. After being a classroom teacher for 12 years, she chose a new career path in teaching writing workshops and tutoring in order to stay home with her young children. She loves teaching creative writing, reading, and grammar. She specializes in teaching elementary school grades, but enjoys assisting older students with their writing as well. She offers both in-person and online workshops and tutoring sessions. Mrs. Huff is Barton trained and certified, and has experience tutoring dyslexic students. She loves to see their growth and improvement in reading, writing, and spelling.

Mrs. Huff's hobbies include coaching volleyball, photography, scrapbooking, writing, and spending time with her family. She has a daughter and a son, both "graduates" from the "Authors and Artists" program!

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What Parents and Students have said about the workshop:

"The small group environment allowed for lots of personalized attention and immediate feedback. My daughter loved the workshop and came home raving about the creative writing assignments which included group, partner, and individual writing."

"It amazed me how my son was excited to stay after school for an academic-style club. Mrs. Huff made the classroom environment comfortable and light after a long day's work at school, yet encouraged hard work and focus and got the kids to produce great things. We loved the program!"

"I loved Mrs. Huff's teaching style and enthusiasm."

"I never thought I'd hear the words 'awesome' and 'writing' in the same sentence from my son, but that's what he said after the first class."

"My daughter absolutely loved the workshop. It made her think, and challenged her to write something different. She loves writing, and this gave her a scheduled time to do what she loves best with a teacher's guidance. Plus, she loved her teacher!"

"Authors and Artists is my favorite part of the day."

"This workshop is hard work..... but it's fun work!"

"I was very impressed with Mrs. Huff's manner with the children. There was a sense of mutual respect in the classroom between the teacher and students. The students were comfortable and worked hard, but had fun!"