Poem Cards — Even If I Look Silly Doing It

I made these cards for a poem competition. But really, I made them for something deeper: To give children a tactile, joyful way to connect with language. To let rhythm live in their hands, not just their heads. To make memorization feel like play, not pressure.

Was it worth the effort? I don’t know. But I do know this: teaching is an experiment. It’s trial and error. It’s “let’s try this and see.” It’s doing whatever I can to make learning stick, sparkle, and stay.

So I laminated. I curated. I illustrated. Not because I had to—but because I could. And if one child stands on stage and recites with pride, then maybe that’s the success I was chasing all along.

Sometimes I wonder if I look silly to my colleagues—spending hours laminating poem cards, choosing playful fonts, adding cartoon illustrations. Maybe I do. But honestly? Who cares. Yes, I used to care. I gave up before. I admit—I felt a little crazy when they criticized me for putting too much effort into things they thought were useless. Honestly, I started to believe it. But now? I’ve let that go. I know why I do this. I love it. I know what I’m doing—and that’s enough. I choose to close my ears to that nonsense. I’ve heard enough of “too much effort” and “what’s the point?”

Teaching is an experiment. It’s not about doing what’s expected. It’s about doing what works—even if it looks a little extra.