Found Poem: Miss McLeod Taught Me

Local resident Tamara Hernandez posted the poem, written by her friend Teresa Stone.  Stone sends her daughter to second grade at Valley public school, but used to live in Echo Park on Effie Street.

Stone says she read the poem for her daughter's class. Then she was invited to read it to all the second grade classes. Some worried it would be too long for the kids, but, according to Stone, they listened, rapt.

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"Miss McLeod Taught Me"

S. T. Stone

After First Grade

She could read

write

but one day

she came home

didn't stumble

on the usual thing

wide eyes and dropped jaw

met with simple statement

"Miss McLeod taught me"

proud, accomplished

look

stared back

my face, agog

You mean, just today?

"Yep"

Matter of fact.

“What's this?”

"Oh, my library book. 

It's a chapter book. 

I'm on the third chapter already. 

Can I read it now?"

“Um, yeah.  Sure.”

Play it cool, mom. 

Don't get too excited.

Wait ‘til you get back in the kitchen

before you jump up and down

like a cheering fool

because today

your kid isn't afraid

to read

today

Your kid loves books.

As much as you.

What happened?

Suddenly, she reads fluently

without reserve

no dark cloud

insecurity

sentence intimidation

no anxiety, or "no you read it…" ‘s

She even adds double numbers.

Shows me

A simple trick.

"Miss McLeod taught me"

eyes wide again

She shrugs

No big deal.

"She taught me that today."

"Just today?!"

"Yep"

Matter of fact

like it's always been that way

just needed

one special teacher

to bring it to her attention.

"She said I do it like this…"

(careful marks, handwriting just so)

“See?"

I see.  Wow.

All the hand wringing

distractions

procrastinations

moaning, groaning, crying, wailing

homework club tribulations

cajoling with reward

fighting every step

wiped clean

in one sensible lesson

"Miss McLeod taught me"

has become

my favorite phrase

no longer

exasperated

begging my child

to simply carry the one, but see, it's a ten...

begging reason

to understand

the 1,10, 100 positions

remember odd, even

noun, pronoun, adjective

over and over I stress

yet still a block

resistance

I stare in wonder

how with seemingly effortless ease

Ms. McLeod

is able to say it

just the right way

"Miss McLeod says...just do it this way, see watch…"

"Miss McLeod says…add these numbers first, see, like this…"

"Miss McLeod says...write in your prettiest handwriting"

and to my amazement

Connection

Understanding

Written words

are beautiful.

What we say

how we say it,

even hand writing,

expresses our finest aspirations.

So thank you, Ms. McLeod

for showing her

What I struggled to find

wishing, hoping

to share

the beauty

of words

writing, reading

the ease, of carrying numbers

the logic, of step by step

to prepare her for that milestone leap

the crossover, to Big Kid.

3rd Grade.

She has achieved

Confidence.

Made stronger

every time

she said, so matter of fact

"Miss McLeod taught me."