From Poem of the Week

I absolutely love the Poem of the Week blog. There are a lot of my favorite poems posted on it. There are also some that I haven't read and wished that I have heard of them sooner. Here's this week's post:

The Hand

The teacher asks a question.
You know the answer, you suspect
you are the only one in the classroom
who knows the answer, because the person
in question is yourself, and on that
you are the greatest living authority,
but you don’t raise your hand.
You raise the top of your desk
and take out an apple.
You look out the window.
You don’t raise your hand and there is
some essential beauty in your fingers,
which aren’t even drumming, but lie
flat and peaceful.
The teacher repeats the question.
Outside the window, on an overhanging branch,
a robin is ruffling its feathers
and spring is in the air.

-Mary Ruefle

I really enjoyed this poem because I was that student. Many of my teachers knew that I was that kind of student. For instance, Ms. Johnson had once said that I knew a lot of the answers and had good interpretations, but I was too hesitant to share them with others. As a teacher-to-be, it's really interesting being around kiddos and reflecting on what kind of student I was. It's also weird seeing yourself in some students. Lastly, I'm learning how it feels dealing with students like me from a teacher point of view. I must say it's pretty frustrating.