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Mr. Ivan, The Principal Poet

Recipe for Trouble


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Eighteen boys in a classroom
Is "trouble served on toast."
Or, if you were a doctor,
It'd be bad news to diagnose.

I pity the girls in the classroom.
They have to put up with the noise,
The confusion, the messing around,
Cooked up by eighteen boys!

How'd you like to be a teacher
Of boys numbering ten plus eight?
No teacher in her right mind
Would crave that full a plate.

Poor poor teacher of eighteen.
Problems runneth o'er her cup.
With a class of eighteen boys
Always stirring everything up.


Meet Ivan Kershner

Ivan Kershner, known to students and colleagues alike as Mr. Ivan, has been writing poetry for more than 40 years. During that time he has also been an English teacher in Wyoming, a high school principal in Nebraska and Colorado, an assistant superintendent in Nebraska, and a middle school assistant principal in charge of curriculum and instruction in South Carolina. In 1995, Mr. Ivan received a National Educator Award from the Milken Family Foundation. He also received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Education from Colorado's governor, Roy Romer. Schools or teachers wishing to contact Mr. Ivan may reach him at kershneri@anderson1.k12.sc.us.

Article by Ivan Kershner
Education World®
Copyright © 2007 Education World

08/05/2007