I felt like I really wanted to join in with Inspiration Monday this week as I haven't managed to recently, I've sometimes dressed up in my version of the outfit, but felt like they looked terrible and it was too dark to take photos and well, I've been blogging lots on a theme! However, today was an outfit worn by Miranda Kerr here (that blip that means I can't seem to copy and paste images at the moment!) . She wears a rather more sophisticated version of this outfit, but here's my more unironed, creased, immaturechilled take on a pale jumper, black jacket, denim skirt and boots! Head over to the Two Birds blog for more versions of this outfit.
Anyway, to continue with the theme for BEDN today, the theme is bullying. I have been remarkably lucky in my life not to have been bullied in my life, considering I am rather eccentric at times and have always been very individual in what I do. I feel for the many children who have experienced it, it must be awful. There was one horrid boy in my GCSE drama class who was mean to me and picked on me, and that was bad enough, but I was mercifully only in his group a handful of times, so he didn't get too much opportunity. He was always a complete twit, he reminds me of Jim Davidson and his terrible and downright offensive sense of humour.
When writing about my hobbies on Saturday, I forgot to include writing- I love writing small poems and texts, ones I have often used for school, modelling texts and for comprehension. Thanks Abigail-Ann for reminding me that this is something I like doing!! In recent times, I've done this FOR school but I have always loved writing. I recently offered to write a whole batch of modelled texts for my work colleague at school. This week is Anti-bullying week and I wrote this poem and comprehension questions for a homework task a while back but I feel like it could generate a whole lot of discussion with a class or for Guided reading (I've included the Assessment Foci). If you are a teacher, or someone with children, I hope that you might be able to make use of it. Any constructive criticism or comments would be gratefully received
(Oh and G. Killannera is my pen name for texts I write for the children so they don't clock it's me!)
Fall and Phoenix by G. Killannerra
They push me and shove me
They make me feel a fool.
How I wish I was a giant tower
Instead of rodent small.
Each day in the playground,
They snuffle for their prey.
They’re baying hounds a-seeking me,
Determined to get their way.
Yet I too now am determined
To stand up for my rights,
To show I don’t care, am strong within
I WILL win this mental fight!
We each are special, unique, with worth,
Each have our special skills.
Beware how you treat now, today,
For one day I might cure your ills.
That which makes me different to you
Is no excuse to tease.
Beauty is variety, God made it so,
Just like snowflakes upon the breeze.
*****
1. What is happening to the author at the beginning of the poem? (AF2 and 3)
2. Do you think the author feels confident about herself? Use the text to justify your answer. (AF3 & 6)
3. Why do you think the author wishes that she were a ‘giant tower’? (AF5)
4. What metaphor does the Author use to describe the other people in the poem? (AF2 and AF5). Why does she use this metaphor?
5. Why does the writer write WILL in capitals, bold, and underlined? (AF4)
6. What does the author mean by ‘One day I might cure your ills?”? (AF3)
7. What is the main message/moral of this poem?
8. What does the author think is not an acceptable reason to tease them?
9. (a)Have you experienced anything like this poem? Talk/write about it (b) How did it make you feel? (c) How did you deal with it? (d) what advice would you give to anyone in this situation? (AF7)
10. Write a poem as if you were a victim. Try to use some imagery.
