This is a delightful post by Mercedes Schneider, whom we usually expect to write about scams, hoaxes, and frauds in the education biz.
But this time she shows off a student’s work in her English class.
What a delight!
She reminds us that this is what education is all about. Not dollars, but the joy of learning!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Did you notice how worn and frayed the Purple Lit Book was? Brings back memories of not having enough books for all of our students and what we had were just as used.
I wonder how many students have used that book while the DEFORMERS do all they can to destroy public education and abuse OUR children.
DEFORM:
The greedy autocrats
distort
disfigure
contort
cripple
impair
maim
mangle
mutilate
and skew
To feed their corrupted cells
and spread their toxic thoughts
This poem reflects the non-CCSS teaching that inspired the student to write this. Students read real classic literature extensively. Those writings reflected what was happening at the time, and the teacher provided students with a connection to the socio-political and economic happenings at the time. Real teaching informs, inspires and connects students to other real issues. It demonstrates consolidated learning through personal engagement. That is why this poem is a home run.
Great poem.
Inspires me to write one about the FLERPle Lit Blog
Sorry, that would be The FLERP!le Lit Blog
Smiley emoji.
Lovely, thoughtful poem. When the students have fun learning, they learn more, and they learn better. Twelve hours a day of “standards-based rigor” can’t do a better job of teaching than a small few hours a day of academic play.