An I Am From-style reflection on teaching and inspiration
I am from Annie Sullivan’s “Wa-wa” moment at the pump
and from Helen Keller’s joy.
I am from
my father’s patient explanations and endless encouragement.
I am from wishing to be a camp counselor forever.
I am from sprinklings of literary fairy dust,
from intriguing titles and poetry,
from the depths of Ahab’s desperation
and from lumos! sparks at the end of a wand.
I’m from small-of-stature, big-hearted heroes
who pad courageously across pages
on calloused, hairy feet.
I am from a blue-jacketed Yale Shakespeare collection,
with penciled-in annotations,
from correcting pronouns at the dinner table,
from Warriner’s, Strunk & White
and Eats, Shoots and Leaves.
I am from playing with words
with a cocked head and a quizzical eyebrow,
from the clatter of onomatopoeia,
from picture poems
where words
tumble
d
o
w
n
the page,
and from arranging thoughts in
*stac*ca*to* bursts* and longunspacedsentences.
I am from a school motto that captures it all.
I’m from growing classroom gardens
of poets, musicians and dreamers, explorers, scientists, and mathematicians,
from awakening the love of learning and the love of the journey,
from aiding and abetting discovery.
I am from celebrating mistakes,
from learning to fail graciously, even gladly.
I am from eyes that pop in surprise
and hand-over-the-mouth gigglers,
from agonized squeals of, “Oh! You can’t stop reading there!”
I am from the feet that run to greet me with cries of
“Can I have the key?”
And I am from passing the key to those eager hands
and smiling…
and whispering,
“Yes.
Yes.
Here is the key.”
Margy Lamere has taught first and second grades at Foote since 1992. Each year, her students write ‘I Am From’ poems as reflections on what makes them who they are.