Poetry saves the day !

School has started again. I am without my trusty teaching partner and dear friend of 9 years. She was declared redundant and my heart is heavy. I do have a new partner who is great and I am excited about working with her but change is hard. That much I must admit. A new year brings new challenges and new joys. I was having a rough day with but the few minutes I picked up a new poetry anthology to share with the class was almost magical. They stopped, they listened, they laughed, they even asked for one more. Since I have vowed to focus more on  poetry this year it was a short glimpse into the magic of the language of poetry. Then they heard their grade 2 neighbours in the hall getting ready for recess and the spell was broken...sigh! Did I mention that we have a new pet, a russian hamster aptly names Baryshnikov. Dignified name for a tiny boy. The children voted, I myself was holding out for Gorky or Chagall !