The Kindergarten Teacher

So who wants to read? Come on, it's like the...

What is it? The fourth week now? Let's hear someone else.

Do you, um...

Lisa.

Lisa, do you mind sharing?

No.

So what did you write this week?

A short one. A haiku.

Oh, really?

I didn't see you work on it.

I did it on the ferry.

Read it to me?

A dream garden blooms

Rose, iris, phlox, but here?

A white crocus pierces concrete.

It's good, Lis.

They didn't like it.

Someone said it was derivative.

But they always say that, right?

They say it if it's good, they say it if it's bad.

My teacher said I need to put more of myself in my work.

What is it, like,

the flowers out by the pool?

Yeah.

More or less.

I'm going to go cut some paper.

Okay, let's move on to "S."

Do you guys see the "S" at the top of your paper?

And do you see how there's a piece of an "S"?

Can you see if you can finish that "S"?

That's really good, Derek.

So, when you think of an "S," think about...

the curve of a slithering sss...

-What? -Snake.

Snake. That's right. Actually, everybody think of a snake.

Think of the way a snake moves

when it sort of slithers on the ground, right?

Ssss, right?

Good job.

Okay. How are you guys doing over here?

- My hand hurts. -Yeah.

We've been doing this for a long time, haven't we?

Okay. We're going to do song circle after one more letter.

You guys got one more letter in you?

Yeah. One more letter. Does anybody have any idea what the next letter is?

"T"!

"T" is the letter that comes after "S" in the alphabet.

Very good! "T" is a tall, tough letter, like a hard tooth!

-Or like a... - Tusk.

Like a tusk. Yes. Very good.

Hey.

Can I see a beautiful "T"?

Thank you.

You know what?

Finish up the letter you're working on and let's do song circle.

Okay, give your papers to Meghan.

-To hell with the core curriculum. -Thank you.

Beach.

-Beach? -

-I love it! - A beach on a necklace!

And a beach...

on a necklace, and a necklace on the...

-Popsicle. -...and a Popsicle on the...

Booger.

...and a booger on the...

Moon.

- -Bye.

Bye, Caitlin.

You have your collage?

Hey guys, take it easy.

-Hi, Lisa. -Hi, Lauren.

Anna.

Anna.

Anna.

Anna's beautiful.

Beautiful...

enough...

for me.

The sun...

hits...

her...

yellow...

house.

It's almost like a sign from God.

What was that?

I don't know.

Was that a poem?

That was a poem. It's remarkable.

I think we should write it down. Right?

Okay.

Wow, you remember it.

What's your name again?

-I'm Becca. -Becca. Right. I'm sorry.

I've seen you here before. So Jackie's gone?

- Yeah. She quit. - That must be why I was confused.

All right. Let's go.

Becca, would you do me a favor?

If he does this again, will you promise you write it down for me?

Yeah, I can do that for you.

Thanks.

Hey, Jimmy...

I really liked your poem.

Okay.

All right. Bye.

She uses way to many hashtags.

Oh, my God.

This is clearly edited.

Look at that.

Yep, that's Photoshopped. That's definitely Photoshopped.

How was your day?

- It was good. -Dad said you had a test?

Yeah. It was fine.

- So what did he say? - That he likes me

and he wants to go out, but that he had to have a talk with Katrina.

But my god, she’s like hanging on for dear life.

- Who's that? - You guys going to come eat?

We ordered pizza.

Excuse me.

-You, too? -Yeah.

You won't say "hi?"

-Hello. -Hello.

-Could I have some of those, please? -Yeah.

-Did you go online and look at the dorms? -Hey.

-Yes. -And did you pick your preferences?

Yes, I did.

- -

"Anna is beautiful.

Beautiful enough for me.

The sun hits her yellow house.

It's almost like a sign from God."

Wow.

It sounds so advanced.

-How old is he? -Five and a half.

It's extraordinary.

I think that Lainey and Josh knew lots of words at that age, but...

...it conjures a feeling.

So specific.

Is he religious?

No, I don't think so.

It's just weird that someone so young would write about God.

It's... It's disturbing, slightly.

Why do you say that?

Why do you use the word "disturbing?"

I don't know.

It's not disturbing, I suppose. It's more like...

peculiar.

The whole God thing. I don't know.

"Anna is beautiful.

Beautiful enough for me.

The sun...

hits her yellow house.

It is almost like a sign from God."

What do you guys think?

I love that line, "Beautiful enough for me."

It suggests so many things. Like...

you don't deserve much, or you don't prioritize beauty.

But then the word "beautiful" is repeated,

so I feel like you do in fact value it in some deep way,

and that you really find Anna beautiful.

Yeah! I think it was really good.

Really good, because...

with so few elements you make something very...

very complex.

It's as if it was said by someone that has seen a lot of beauty,

but now, you know, makes do with very little.

Okay, so for next week, I would like you all to focus...

on the boring things.

The banal, the mundane. Just,

you know, try it and see if the act of writing about something

can transform it into something new.

Let's see.

Ho is for whore! Ho is for whore!

No! Jimmy, no!

No. That is an awful word. All of you guys.

That's a very powerful word and you guys are just little kids,

and there's no place for that here.

Okay?

I know you guys are better than that.

I'm sorry, Jimmy, but I have to give you a timeout.

So, Jimmy,

tell me about your poem.

Who is Anna?

Is she someone you know?

How about your mommy?

Is her name Anna?

My mom is dead.

I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't know.

Remember when we planted these?