Back to school can be a very stressful time for children. These poems encourage conversation about school life and support children as they deal with related joys and concerns. A short poem can give children the words for feelings they may not be able to express, help them realize they are not alone with their thoughts and fears, and give teachers a starting point to discuss the return to school.
I have written over 3,000 poems about life in school, and here are a few of my favourites for back to school. September is the perfect time to use poetry in the service of children.
Have fun sharing these poems with your students!
-Kalli Dakos
I Called My Teacher Mommy
I called my teacher
Mommy.
What a silly thing
I said!
I called my teacher
Mommy.
I have fluff
inside my head!
I called my teacher
Mommy.
Now my face
is apple red!
There are so many moments of embarrassment in school. A poem helps a child feel connected with others who have made the same "mistakes".
Published by Magination Press in They Only See the Outside
Cleaning House in My Brain
I’m cleaning house
in my brain.
It’s BACK TO SCHOOL
time again.Shine windows.
Paint doors.
Vacuum rugs.
Polish floors.Brush away
TV shows.
Picnics, beaches,
free time goes.Bring my memory
back in gear.
Sweep the channels,
crystal clear.My brain is
an amazing tool,
and it’s all ready for
BACK TO SCHOOL!
The switch between time off and back to school can be difficult! Adults and kids alike have to prepare mentally when vacation ends and work or school begins.
Poem from current manuscript.
Introducing a New ME!
There’s a new ME this year,
An on-time ME,
A clean-desk ME,
A first-to-hand-in-assignments ME,
A listens-in-class-to-the-teacher ME,
A teacher’s-pet-for-the-first-time-in-my-life ME,
An-always-willing-to-be-good-and help-out ME,
A dead-serious-get-the-work-done-and-hand-it-in
Before-it’s-due ME.The problem is
the new ME
is not like me. . . . at all.
In the following poem, a student is considering all the changes she will make to have a successful school year.
Published by Simon and Schuster in Put Your Eyes Up Here and Other School Poems
Warning All Pencils in School
It’s not fair,
It’s not fair,
ALL PENCILS
BEWARE!Pencil sharpeners
are in there,
biting teeth
beyond compare,
teachers sticking
us in hair,
erasers hiding
everywhere,
kids who do not
really care,
lots of work
and tests to bear!It’s not fair,
It’s not fair,
ALL PENCILS
BEWARE!
Everyone is a bit nervous on the first day of school – children, parents, teachers
. . . even some pencils.
Poem from current manuscript
The Bully and the Wimp
We were in the bathroom,
the bully and I.
He punched me.
I punched him back.And that’s when he cried!
Children are afraid of mean kids and bullies, and these fears should be acknowledged and discussed at this time of the year. This poem can help begin such a discussion.
Published by Albert Whitman & Company in A Funeral in the Bathroom and Other School Bathroom Poems
Don’t Tell Me
Don't tell me
I won't fail
For it might not
be true.Just tell me
you'll still
love me
even if I do.
One of our children’s greatest fears is “failure,” yet learning to fail” is probably the most important lesson they can learn. This short poem says a great deal about “failure” for parents, teachers, and the children themselves.
Published by Simon and Schuster in Don’t Read This Book, Whatever You Do! More Poems About School
Hiding in the Bathroom
I’m hiding in the bathroom.
There’s no one here to see.
I’m tired of my classroom,
and I wish they’d set me free.Free from all those noisy kids,
rattling round the room,
and calling me such awful names –
I’ll never last till June!Free from that darn substitute
who screeches and who yells.
The bathroom is the nicest place,
to sit and wait for bells.
There are good days and bad days in school, and some days children feel like hiding away somewhere.
Published by Simon and Schuster in If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand, Poems About School
Mr. C’s Bad Day
The entire day
has been.MR. C THIS,
MR. C THAT,
MR. C. COME HERE,
MR. C. GO THERE,
MR. C I NEED
MR. C. I WANT,
MR. C. I FORGOT,
MR. C.
MR. C
MR. C.I’m so tired of my name!
Please –
for the rest of the day,
call me,MR. D.
Discuss back to school from the teacher’s point of view. Sometimes teachers have bad days too.
Published by Dial Books Young Readers in The Goof Who Invented Homework
I Live for Gym
|
|
|
|
It is a good idea to discuss with children the subjects they love in school as well as the ones they don’t like that much. Gym is a consistent favorite, and this is a poem of celebration.
Published by Simon and Schuster in Don’t Read This Book, Whatever You Do!
