AUTHOR'S NOTE Teachers are always in need of new content for their students This was the case when I started teaching middle school We were doing a poetry unit and the students were bored Like really really bored with the examples I had for them I've read this poem before said one This one isn't even funny claimed another As much as I didn't want to agree with them they were right The poems were outdated and too familiar and didn't resonate with any of them I tried my best to find new material I searched online went to libraries and asked other teachers but the results were always the same Seriously Mr. Eicheldinger Isn't there anything else the kids would ask Since I felt like I turned over every stone I could I decided to take matters into my own hands and do something I had never done before Write poetry for my students
For the next fifteen years that is what I did I wrote poems I tried funny ones Inspirational ones Motivating Thinkers Rhyming And they were all incredibly well received No. No they were not Because the great thing about kids is that they know exactly what they want and they let me know They told me which ones they liked and which ones should be changed or thrown out because I bet you have better ones than that Mr. Eicheldinger So now here they are Over a hundred new illustrated poems some funny some thoughtful and some just laughs properly vetted by the expert kids who sat in my room hoping their teacher would create something different new and entertaining for them to read And with their help I think I did just that and I hope you enjoy them too M E.
FOR THE POET IN ALL OF US M E.
YUM DAYDREAM I'm dazing off to Daydream Land I'm leaving class behind Why use my focus for this class when there's a party in my mind FART AND STUFF 7
