Lower School Classroom Chronicle

Our 3B students have been diving into an exciting poetry unit over the past few weeks, exploring how poets use words to share who they are and what matters to them. It has been a joyful and creative experience watching students discover their voices as writers. Like young wordsmiths stepping into a studio of rhythm and imagery, the 3B students have been reading, analyzing, and crafting their own original poems.

Currently, students are working on Boast Poems, inspired by the mentor text Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Charles R. Smith Jr.. Together, we read and discussed how the poet “brags” in a meaningful way—highlighting strengths, interests, and identity. Students then began brainstorming their own ideas, thinking about their likes, hopes, dreams, and what makes them unique. This work helped students understand how poets make intentional word choices to communicate meaning.

Using this brainstorming, students are drafting their own poems that:

• Begin and end with the line “They call me…”
• Include details about who they are
• Use descriptive language and comparisons (like similes and metaphors)

This work supports students in building confidence as writers while learning how to use language creatively and intentionally.

In addition, students are finishing a special project where they are writing neighborhood poems about the places they live. These poems will be paired with original artwork and published in a class book. We look forward to celebrating their hard work and creativity at a Publishing Party later this year!

It has been wonderful to see students take risks, share their ideas, and grow as poets. Through this work, students are not only learning how poems are built, but also how language can reflect who they are.