Well, it was like this…
Writing Time With Miss Dungeon
In Grade 5
Our teacher Miss Dungeon
Would ask us to write
She called it-
Composition
She gave each of us a book
A book she called
A composition book
Every Thursday
Straight after lunch
Was composition time
We all knew this because Miss Dungeon
Would stand in front of the class
And using her very loud voice
That made the windows rattle
Announce
OPEN YOUR COMPOSITION BOOKS
With pencils poised
We would sit silently
Waiting
Waiting
Anticipating
Until Miss Dungeon
Standing at the front of the room
Giant-like on a raised platform
Looked over her spectacles and announced the weekly writing topic-
Autobiography of an Ant
START WRITING NOW
No smile
No Frown
START WRITING NOW…
A few kids began writing
Some stared out the window
Some froze at their desks
And the rest of us stared at the blank white page of our composition book
No one looked at Miss Dungeon
No one dared to look at Miss Dungeon
YOU’VE GOT TWENTY MINUTES
START WRITING
The room fell silent
Pencils scratched wobbly words
Blank pages slowly filled with ant words
Miss Dungeon prowled the room
Gliding along the aisles between our desks like a shark
A grey nurse shark
Suddenly the silence was shattered
ADD MORE DETAIL
ADD MORE DETAIL
Miss Dungeon demanded
Jabbing her finger
Spearing the page
Sharing her rage with a bewildered writer
After twenty minutes Miss Dungeon bellowed
STOP WRITING
CLOSE YOUR BOOKS
PASS THEM TO THE FRONT
We put our pencils down
We sigh with relief
We stop thinking about ants
She would return our ant stories
Covered in red ink
And a mark out of ten
And we would await the next topic
When next Thursday
We'd do it all again
Composition
A new topic
Thrown our way by Miss Dungeon
Alan j Wright
I have no doubt my response quite surprised these young poets...
* Miss Dungeon is a pseudonym for my Grade 5 teacher. Her real name was close to this.
This poem is from the book, 'I Bet There's No Broccoli On The Moon, -More poetry from the search zone'
Oh, Miss Dungeon. She really needed a fuzzy pink notebook and a pink feathered pen for Christmas, didn't she? Thank goodness she didn't completely kill your ability to write creatively. What a poem!
ReplyDeleteShe certainly needed something Linda. maybe an empathy overhaul. I have used that experience in Gade 5 to guide my approach to teaching writing in the totally opposite direction.
DeletePoor Miss Dungeon and poor students. Your description of her as a grey nurse shark gliding along the aisles between the desks is perfect. Your craft move of capitalizing her short, authoritarian words adds even more detail of her personality. I am sure this was not the response your students expected.
ReplyDeleteForgive my delay in responding Leigh Anne. I had to change browsers in order to get my replies to display. You're right, they weren't expecting this kind of response when they asked the question. Thank you for noticing the craft considerations of my poem. She was a little bit like Roald Dahl's Miss Trunchbull in my eyes. I've not been enamoured by my memory of her and what she did to writing back then. Still, it has guided my own teaching of writing enormously - in the opposite direction, so I am grateful for that.
DeleteYou described the 5th grade writing class experience to perfection! My teacher, Miss Legg, was also fond of assigning such marvelous prompts as the autobiography of an ant. I recall one assignment when we were asked to write about life on another planet where, on one day each year, the weather allowed everyone a chance to go outside for one hour. Thank you for sharing your poem about Miss Dungeon.
ReplyDeleteAh, so I am not alone. I derive comfort from your comments Leslie. Thank you and I trust you have recovered in the same manner I have. Those days have gone, but the memories have provoked restorative practices going forward.
DeleteI liked all about this except for the yelling, the public belittling, the red-penning (and grading)...I guess that leaves me loving the weekly routine and the fun random prompt!
ReplyDeleteWhen we have these attitudes and behaviours present in a classroom the natural outcome is aversion Mary Lee. Miss Dungeon was a red pen demon. So many of the things she did sent me in the opposite direction as an educator. As a writer, I am so glad I persisted with something I loved.
DeleteThanks for sharing this vivid memory. I appreciated it greatly.
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome Karen. It was akin to a cathartic experiences in some ways.
DeleteWow, Miss Dungeon really left an impression on you and your classmates. I like that you overcame the emotions of your 5th grade Composition writing time to become the poet you are and create this wonderful poem. :)
ReplyDeleteShe certainly did Bridget. Like you, I remain glad I my spirit was not broken by these experiences. My life would be much poorer, if I didn't have poetry. I appreciate your kind remarks.
DeleteOH my, Miss Dungeon tried her best to make writing unpleasant. I'm glad she didn't succeed in squashiing the fun out of writing in your case.
ReplyDeleteShe certainly did Kay. I do wonder how my classmates faired in the way they view writing. For me, it reinforced a determination to not be broken in my natural desire to write -which was always there. It just got a little battered in Grade 5. I'm stronger I guess for that experience. A cautionary tale of sorts...
DeleteThe beginning of your poem reminded me of "Alice's Restaurant" (the song)...I could imagine Arlo Guthrie performing it. The shark description is perfect.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tabitha for your kind remarks. I will reread my words and see if can hear the influence of Arlo in my words. We are all under the spell of those we read whether we realize it or not.
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