A Poem for Hawaii’s Teachers

By Rod Martin

I’m a teacher, and I enjoy teaching kids to question, to dream and what it means to be a life-long learner. And I hope to get to it, when I get a chance … once attendance is taken. The rules reviewed, passes handed out, grade checks signed, kids excused to counseling and student government and dentist and doctor appointments.

After we’ve collected for the fundraiser and I’ve paid the kids for cookies and car washes, signed the field-trip forms, listed the day’s events, handed out tissues and Band-Aids, pencils and pens, and provided the impoverished with paper products.

There’s so much I have to share with the kids when I’m done with all my meetings and workshops, just as soon as I implement all the top-down requirements and standards, finished the paperwork, read and replied to the emails.

I intend to do some serious teaching after I clean their desk tops, repair broken books and fans, organize some field trips, find new and exciting stories, ideas, issues, as I keep parents, team members and the administration continually appraised of each child’s progress and potential.

When all their giggles and whispers and gossip have quieted and all extraneous questions have been answered. After I’ve checked their planners, read them the bulletin and reviewed the five R’s. Just as soon as I pick up all their candy wrappers, counsel away their tears and fears, approved all bathroom breaks, having monitored their appearance and attire, calmed the hyper, awakened the sleepy, caught the gum chewers, encouraged the reluctant, protected the innocent and locked out the late comers.

As soon as I figure out a way to corner their two-minute attention spans, having confiscated their laser pointers, earphones, rubber bands, spit balls, paper airplanes and cell phones. Just as soon as I get organized and finish my professional development, plan the next necessary sabbatical, patrol my portion of the playground, gobble down lunch, run off the materials I need, laminate the goals and remember the many reminders scattered across my desk.

I plan to teach up a storm as soon as I get back to my class after the false alarms and lock downs, earthquake drills, and campus evacuations. I will declare what’s appropriate, moral and good (though not necessarily true) as I adhere to ever-changing policies in an ever-changing world, leaving no child behind.

And I plan to do so, controlling the kids without touching, threatening, or harassing them, without losing my temper or my sanity. As each day I forgive their homework forgotten or misplaced, stashed in gym lockers, eaten by pets, languishing on crashed computers.

I intend to inspire, mold, and scold until they are responsible, respectful, life-long learners who take joy in their creativity, relish curiosity and can conduct themselves compassionately. And I hope to get to it real soon, ‘cause time’s a-wasting and who knows …

It could be fun.

Rod Martin is a former English teacher who enjoys writing poems, novels, songs and musicals.

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