this specific poem is only four lines long. it's focus is to poke-fun or talk about a celebrity. the first two lines have to rhyme (aka a 'couplet' for those of you lacking in your poetry knowledge), while the second two lines rhyme (the second 'couplet').
today as i was grading their final project, a book composed of their own original poems following the format of seven types that we discussed, i couldn't help but laugh out loud at the creativity that some of my students had while writing their 'clerihew'...
lil' wayne
wears a big chain;
while he's singing
he sure is blinging.
.
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britney spears
sheds her tears;
when she went bald
the doctor she called.
.
.
justin timberlake
isn't no fake;
he's so fly
i think i'm gonna die.
.
.
beyonce
is jay-z's finance;
he loves her so
she doesn't even know.
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sure these poems aren't difficult and they don't seem like that big of deal, but you may have to know my 7th graders to understand how proud of them i am.
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apathy is effecting the world today in ways that it never has before, especially the youth today. if something doesn't involve technology, they don't want to do it. if they have to read something, no way. and if they have to write more than two sentences, absolutely not.
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my roommate, becky, is a 6th grade science teacher at stucky with me. we carpool to work and usually our drive home is our "complain about lazy and annoying kids" time. but about a month ago our hearts really began to break as we talked about how the spirit of apathy really is engulfing children today. this laziness then continues into high school, college, and follows them into adulthood.
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i constantly ask myself, 'what can i do to engage my students more and to help them really enjoy learning.' i'm not a teacher who stands in front of the class and lectures while they take notes. we have group discussions, we do group work, we read together, we play games to help them review concepts, and we do a lot of hands-on activities. i'm even lucky enough to have access to [my very own] technology that really [should] grab their attention.
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yet, even when i make lessons fun and engaging, they still don't care.
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when they have a 28% in class because they 'just don't want to do homework'... they don't care.
when they get to work with a partner... they'd rather sit and do nothing.
when they are given the opportunity to pick a topic that they enjoy... they choose nothing.
and when they are given an assignment to finish up by the end of the class period... they'd rather take the zero.
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youth today don't want to work. they want everything handed to them. if it's too hard, they quit. it's a constant battle to get them to focus and really care about school; anything related to working hard that is.
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what is happening to our world? why has the spirit of apathy begun to take over the sons and daughters of God?
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for the Lord said that we have been created in the image of Him. apathy is not one of those characteristics. this just reminds me of the sin that we can so easily fall into without even realizing it. God desires, even more than i do, that they would rid themselves of the sin that has engulfed them; that they would run whole-heartedly towards Jesus, willing to continue running even when something hard jumps in their way.
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... maybe i'll have to stick with the clerihew to keep them motivated for now...
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