Ann Gookin

2009 Poetry and Stories by 6th Grade Students of Fairfield Middle School Ann Gookin

The art of instruction does not come from the act of verbally spilling out obtained knowledge, hoping that someone will catch enough to impact them in some way. Learning, in the same sense, can not be truly obtained through passive actions. To truly instruct and learn, those involved must be engaged and stimulated by what surrounds them and engrossed in the task at hand. An understanding and trust must be developed between an instructor and student so there is a level of teacher/learner in one hand and a feeling of mutual respect in the other. Poetry is one of the most simplistic, but yet complex, expressions of instruction and learning. On the surface it appears as if one only needs a pencil, a paper, and a direction to take their thoughts with poetry. But if one delves deeper, you find that there is a much more complicated world. An instructor must be able to create an environment where students feel safe to express their feelings and reveal parts of their lives to those around them. Thoughts, emotions and actions may be expressed through poetry that students have never shared with others. Vulnerability, toughness, hope and despair can all be intertwined into an expression of one's self through minimal use of the written word. If an instructor and students can become absorbed in the process, something magical can result from their efforts. ~~ ~~ The ability to organize one's thoughts, harness the emotions, and simplify the expression into a few words is no easy task at all. The confidence to share that task takes even more courage as it reveals a piece of each author. In the following, you will find poetry written by the 6th graders at Fairfield Middle School. It is the hope of the students and instructor that you find as many magical moments reading their poetry as they did creating the pieces found in this book.