Mr. Ivan, The Principal Poet

The Bad Report Card

Tomorrow'll be a special day;
It's apt to change my life
From friends and play and youthful joy,
To groundings, grief, and strife!

You see, they'll give my report card
To my Momma and my Dad,
And I haven't been doing very good.
In factI've done quite bad!

My teacher tried to tell me
That this day was on its way
And that in order to avoid it
I'd better quit my play.

At first teacher sorta hinted
(With them red pens that they use)
That I could either pass or fail,
And that I'd better choose.

Then teacher upped the ante
By giving me a note
To pass along to Momma.
(I peeked to see what she'd wrote)

Teacher itemized my failings,
And she said at any cost
That I'd better mend my careless ways.
The note? Oh, it got lost.

So now I'm sweatin' daylight,
'Cuz with the rising of the sun
I know my life is changing
And my freedom's almost done.

I'll be grounded like a throw rug.
I'll be locked up in my room.
No phone. No friends. No TV.
'Til my grades decide to zoom.

If I've left a wrong impression
About the choices that I've made,
I just want you to remember:
It's not my fault, it's my GRADES!

Copyright © 2006 Ivan Kershner, reprinted with permission.

Article by Ivan Kershner
Education World®
Copyright © 2006 Education World

08/18/2006