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Genre Reflection #1: The Power of a Whopper

Here is a poem I composed for a Genre Reflection assignment about a student and his food narrative that he wrote about a Burger King Whopper. Enjoy!


The Power of a Whopper

Oh, Freshmen
8am
Composing food narratives
Failing to enjoy any feedback I give
Some blank stares
Even lesser cares
Carnitas, sushi, cannoli’s, and pizza
“Wow, nice word choice, Lisa!”
There’s side conversation galore
I’m really trying to make these students less bored
But then one student eagerly raises his hand
He has a plan and demands
His eyes flickering with excitement
As he asks me to read his content
Four whole pages describing a Whopper
Now, this comes as a shocker,
I did not expect to read so much passion poured into a burger
And he’s been a hard worker
I notice the variation of his capitalization
So, I inform him of my realization
In which he replies,
“Whoppers are Burger King’s signature prize,
Of course, they should be capitalized!”
He instantly regrets his spelling sin,
And I walk away with a grin
These are the unique understandings
Whoppers mixed with a lesson in capitalization that bring
Joy
Oh, Freshmen


Comments

  1. Katie BozarthOctober 1, 2018 at 2:58 PM

    Dear Madie,

    Thank you for sharing your poem! This was such a fun read! I love your use of rhyme and alliteration. After reading this poem I find myself wanting to read the student's narrative about the Whopper at Burger King. I also really enjoy that this student further developed his skills in capitalization and spelling based on content he was interested in and created. Thank you for creating this reflection!

    Katie

    ReplyDelete
  2. KassidyDOctober 1, 2018 at 9:14 PM

    Madie,

    Your fun and creative spin on an odd topic of one's passion for Whoppers made it enjoyable to read and had me giggling at times. Your use of words choice and flow made it easy to follow and helped us grasp the environment that you were working in when he asked for your help. My one question is, how did he do on his Whopper paper? I'm curious to know! Thank you for sharing your poem!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dejah McElrathOctober 3, 2018 at 6:58 PM

    Dear Madie,

    I really enjoyed this poem. It was fun, made me laugh, and really went into detail! I liked your creative word choice and the feel of this poem. I was intrigued from the beginning to the end. Do you write poetry often?

    Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Micaela HeinrichOctober 6, 2018 at 10:04 AM

    Oh, Madie--how you make me chuckle!!

    I love this poem, and it was especially fun hearing you read it when it was just in its starting phases a couple weeks ago. I love the changes you've made that describe the rest of the class's poetic decisions and that give us a visual depiction of your mindset as you walk around in the classroom. Also, I really like that your penultimate line is simply "Joy." Man, I just think that sums up the overall teaching experience--anxiety about trying to keep your students engaged, laughter at the silliness and wonder of their creativity, and an altogether feeling of JOY.

    Thank you for this uplifting work!

    Micaela

    ReplyDelete
  5. Camille LopezOctober 6, 2018 at 12:52 PM

    Dear Madie,

    I loved hearing your first draft a couple weeks ago and then hearing your final draft in our feather circle on Tuesday. Your rhyming is so great! You have a real talent! I love the part you added about this being why we teach. It's those little moments with students that truly make it all worth it. Students absolutely are a joy and your poem portrays that fact perfectly. This is such a great poem! Thank you for this!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tyler PrickettOctober 7, 2018 at 5:11 PM

    Madie,

    This poem was great. It really makes me want to read what your student wrote. I also found it hilarious that of all things in the world... The Whopper from Burger King was in some way, responsible for helping this kid with his capitalization. You really never know what is going to become relevant in the classroom on any given day.

    Thanks for sharing this,

    Tyler

    ReplyDelete

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