There are small seeds
And mighty oaks.
Tender shoots
And weathered bark.
Fragile buds
And blooming gardens.
When we tend to the soil,
Or water the roots?
Nurturing growth.
We never say
This seedling matters.
That one does not.
We plant
And we tend.
We shelter
And we know.
THEY ALL NEED CARE.
Yet somehow,
When we look
At the faces in our classrooms.
Where dreams are now formed.
Where futures wait,
We forget.
Some get sunshine,
Others shadow.
Some have rich soil,
Others are stones.
Don't we see?
Each mind
A garden
Waiting.
Each question
A seed
We plant
Or let's wither.
Each word we speak
Rain
Or drought?
Growing hearts.
Aren't we?
The gardeners
Of tomorrow,
Holding us in our hands
The tender roots
Of every child?
For hundreds of Moons
Save all the Summers,
You engaged young minds
One youth at a time
Teaching new students.
But that’s not all,
You mentored young
Teachers, with pride.
For many years.
Excellence,
Scholarship,
Legacy.
And now,
Retired.
Thanks!
A Pledge to Teachers
When it was time for me
To concentrate and learn
Through your skill and ability
To guide and to discern—
For wisdom was your desire
As teaching was your career
But the fact that you inspire
Is what I must revere
Lovers of wisdom born by you
Heirs to knowledge that we then become
My words— indeed, are both faithful and true
Within this poem, a—small anthem
A small anthem to try and acknowledge
A small—part of— what you do
As I now utter a pledge
To sincerely, thank you!
Thank you for taking the time
to show me how to write.
Thank you for the sleepless nights you
spent marking my work,
Thank you for the time you took off holidays
to give me extra attention when I needed it,
I am who I am because of you
Your hands have molded governors and presidents
rock stars and writers.
Thank you for showing me how to hold a pen
So that I can write this.
Teaching the lesson
Demonstating procedures
Evaluating
By Robb A. Kopp
All Rights Reserved © MMX
There is a voice within us all
Some don’t hear, some do
But if you listen very hard
Then they will speak to you
They speak the wisdom of the world
They help along the way
They offer words when times are tough
Upon those darkened days
Some speak sweet, some are strong
Some can be quite mean
Though, try to listen when they speak
They’re a lot more than they seem
Do not suppress them, for they’ll die
To never again return
Keep them going, listen long
They teach a lot, so learn