What is Love?

If you had to work today, I can't think of a better place to spend Valentine's Day than working with a bunch of first graders. They are sooooo precious trying to read the names on their valentine cards and struggling to match it to the rightful owners' bag. In Writer's Workshop, we have realy worked in the past two weeks on writing with depth - trying to get them beyond the normal: I went to Florida. It was fun. I got a new shell. - oh yeah, how did you get there? Who went? What was fun? Where did you buy a shell or did you find one? I admit, it is exhausting but so worth it when they write well.

Today, we tried our hand at poetry. Yep, you guessed it.....Love is....poems.

We talked about the source of LOVE - God. We talked about how love tastes and the things that mom and grandmas cook that cause you to feel loved. We shared ways that our parents and teachers and God help us to feel loved. We talked about what love looks like and smells like - that's an interesting one for first graders. Here are some samples:

"Love tastes like cablegs with hot buder."

"Love smells like dad's chicken warming on a fire pit."

"Love tastes lick mom's chken nudl soope."

"Love feels all snuglee."

"Loves smells like cinimn." (cinnamon in case you don't read the hooked on phonics way)

"Love is OK." (written by a 7 year old boy)

"Love is my granma's chkin on a Sunday aftrnun."

"Love is God's protection." (love their theology)

"Love is yor parris." (your parents - again, Hooked on phonics worked for me!)

"Love is my mom bakeing a piy."

"Love smells like my dad's fish."

"Love sounds like nice words."

"Love is muzik."

"Love is good."

"Love sounds like God's strong words."

and we all ended with "Love comes from God."

Good stuff from the classroom today. Hope you find as much joy in it as I did!

Happy Valentine's Day!