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THE TEACHER'S JOURNEY

Copyrighted 1993-2012

BY ROBERT JOHN MEEHAN

$7.99/paperback
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Robert John Meehan's passion for the children and teachers in today's schools has made him one of the nation's most popular educator/poets. His understanding and compassion for the teaching profession has established Robert John Meehan as one of the nation's leading poetic voices for the American teacher.

Mr. Meehan's depth of experience as an inner-city teacher for a period covering four decades is deeply embodied in his writing. His ability to share the joy, sorrows and at times the horror of teaching in our inner-city schools is brought to the forefront of each of his selections. His position of respect by his peers in the teaching profession is unmatched by any of today's educational expositors.

Some Selections

From

Robert John Meehan's

The Teacher's Journey

The Road Less Traveled

Copyrighted 1993-2012

1.PLAY

2.SANCTUARY

3.A SIMPLE MATTER

4.A RESILIENT CHILD

5.SELF

6.FROST

7.NOW KEEPING PACE

8.PERSONAL ATTENTION

9.FIELD TRIP MONITOR

10.JOHNNY'S WALKING DOWN THE HALLWAY

11.A CHILD'S PLEA

12.LD UNEXPLAINED TO ME

13.A HUG AT ARM'S LENGTH

14.A TEACHER'S PLEDGE

15.A JANUARY FEAR

16.FLASH CARDS

17.THE PREFERENTIAL PLEASE

18.SCIENCE TO TEST

19.IN MEMORIAL

20.A LITTLE MORE...A LITTLE LESS

21.A BELL TOO SOON

22.I AM DEFIANCE

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1.PLAY

By Robert John Meehan

Main occupation of children enhanced

Life's mode of learning given a chance

Best done when not eating sleeping or complying

Interfering rejecting ridiculing or denying

Watching and imitating interacting with some

Acquiring language...Relating Will Come

Opportunities for development and emotional skill

Experiences with language and feelings that thrill

Motivation creation exploration to invest

A child's development and intellect to test

Whether parallel play in a solitary way

Or social play in a complimentary way

Play is its own reward throughout life

Imagination expression...Life Without Strife

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2.SANCTUARY

By Robert John Meehan

In the stillness of the moment

Our eyes quietly meet

A nod from me approving

Good behavior in their seat

La Tisha and Amanda

Quietly working at their task

While Frederick and La Tonya

File up for questions yet to ask

Robert and Desmond

With counselor soon to meet

As Brian and Krisha

Resist playing footsie with their feet

In the solitude of the morning

My class is all on task

A smile from me Okaying

There 'll be time for questions yet to ask

I can hear Michael sighing

As yesterday's homework's done

While noticing all the while

That Sara's just begun

With pencil to the paper

A whispering sound I hear

As Clarissa and Latoya

To Ronda lend an ear

Niki and Lakisha

This quiet moment to invest

Both silently preparing

Knowing tomorrow brings a test

Brandon and Malinda

Their attention never waning

Even Tyrone and Kevin

New knowledge are obtaining

While Anthony intently studies

The biography of Dr. King

Jackie's yet perceiving

Her book's new wonders soon to spring

Nodding and affirming

My smile fans the class

Not a sound unconfirming

That they're mindful of their task

A SOUND OF SCREECHING TIRES

Interrupts our private life

As little bodies scramble

To the gunfire's ambient strife

Glass shattering around them

Each immediate sanctuary sought

As frightened eyes search out mine

Wondering what of this we wrought

NO..Not just another drive-by

But the unveiling of a not so innocent truth

NO..Not just another drive-by

But a vile invasion of our precious youth

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3. A SIMPLE MATTER

By Robert John Meehan

My pencil is on the floor

Just what am I to do

I'll not get it with my feet

As the other children do

The test has already started

I'm in danger of falling behind

If only a fellow student

Would return it in ample time

My palms are now sweating

My frustration's beginning to show

No talking is permitted

Thus my pencil lies below

If my eyes were to wander

For a helping hand to find

Would my teacher be believing

Or would questions of cheating be defined

As I squirm anxiously in my seat

There's sweat forming on my brow

I wantingly glance beneath me

Believing I'll retrieve it yet somehow

A commotion I could make

But others I would distract

Or an illness I could fake

With a slim chance the test retake

I glance up at the clock

With feelings of dismal shock

Wishing in my predicament

My teacher soon takes stock

I hesitatingly raise my hand

As a tear trickles down my cheek

Hoping and praying all along

That my teacher's eyes and mine do meet

But much to my dismay

She's still looking another way

With hopes of finishing diminishing

I'll need find yet another way

I swallow a gulp of air

In hopes of clearing my throat

In need of my teacher's attention

To questions with answers yet unwrote

In fear of promoting a commotion

I begrudgingly bury my head

Any hopes of a successful solution

Are lost in my feelings of dread

With a tap on my shoulder from behind me

And a tug on my chair's brake release

My teacher's whispering voice reminds me

My wheelchair's brake to release

With a smile and a nod to assure me

To put my worst expectations to rest

My teacher returns me my pencil

And on I continue my test

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4. A RESILIENT CHILD

By Robert John Meehan

Positive outlook initiative and effort

Progress and friendship encouraging more effort

Expanding my interests building my skills

Effectiveness in work no longer just frills

Humor and focus with higher esteem

Critical thinking my teachers will gleam

Problem solving thinking abstractly

Handicaps dissolving progressing exactly

Now in control... My feelings to share

No one's to wonder...MY POTENTIAL BEWARE !

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5.SELF

By Robert John Meehan

Self-direction is a virtue

a quality of strength

the development of self

responsibility at length

An image of this strength

independence and reliance

a characteristic at length

with self-assertion and less defiance

Stability and intellect

contributing to success

a strength of self-direction

achievement more than less

Effectiveness in enhancing

attitudes which promote

a component of a process

negative attitudes to garrote

A sense of autonomy

through the concept of relating

to build a one time wanna-be

to a better self elating

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6. FROST (THE TEACHER'S JOURNEY)

By Robert John Meehan

Sometimes a moment

Stands out in time

A new life discovered

By a moment in rhyme

Everything changed by

A single selection

A turning point made

In a moment's alliteration

A new life to continue

Discovered in rhyme

One moment that changed

My life for all time

In that moment of time

A difference was made

My turning point reached

A life's validity laid

My life's road discovered

By a lesson in rhyme

That road less traveled

Was that selection of mine

And that too has made

All the difference

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7.NOW KEEPING PACE

By Robert John Meehan

Now included and of value

I think I've found my pace

Now attentive and supportive

I assume my rightful place

Now accomplished and creative

I eagerly join the chase

Now responsible and directed

I promise anger to displace

Now showing initiative and acceptance

I feel exclusions no longer the case

Now beaming with pride and potential

I'm ready for teacher's welcoming embrace

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8.PERSONAL ATTENTION

By Robert John Meehan

Personal attention

a gifted child leads

Personal attention

an average child needs

Personal attention

at risk child pleads

Personal attention

a dyslexic child reads

Personal attention

an autistic child deeds

Personal attention

a parent plants the seeds

Personal attention

is what every child needs

Thus, Personal attention

is what every teacher heeds

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9. FIELD TRIP MONITOR

By Robert John Meehan

I approach it with great hesitation

(all the while loathing my assigned destination)

Each child I lead permission received

(making note their interest is not well perceived)

Obedience was submitted by parental dictation

(warnings were made to hinder temptation)

Each one committed by orientation

(all the while fearing my mortification)

Soon to head off my worst inclination

(to act on my thoughts of prognostication)

Year after year with board justification

we make this trip for student dedication

Alas, my being filled with just pretension

if only I could leave each child in detention

I think it is obvious by this short deposition

that monitoring this bus is beyond my disposition

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10.JOHNNY'S WALKING DOWN THE HALLWAY

By Robert John Meehan

Johnny's Walking down the hallway

hands neatly at his side

Johnny's walking down the hallway

all the rules he will abide

Johnny's walking down the hallway

having nothing much to hide

Johnny's walking down the hallway

teachers proudly step aside

Johnny's walking down the hallway

but his feet begin to glide

Johnny's skipping down the hallway

round the corner he'll soon slide

Johnny's running down the hallway

I quickly swallow my pride

Johnny's yelping down the hallway

a part of me just died

Johnny's staggering down the hallway

with poor Miss Vance he did collide

Johnny's crying down the hallway

thinking poor Miss Vance had died

Johnny's waiting down the hallway

til some teachers all decide

Johnny's whimpering down the hallway

his fragile ego they did chide

Now...Johnny's walking down the hallway

hands neatly at his side

Johnny's walking down the hallway

all the rules he will abide

Johnny's walking down the hallway

teachers proudly step aside

Egads...Johnny's fleeing down the hallway

I think I'll let it ride

Oh no...Johnny's missing down the hallway

I think I'll go and hide

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11.A CHILD'S PLEA

By Robert John Meehan

lest i be forgotten

(please notice me today)

forget that i was rotten

as we plan another day

yesterday is behind me

another chance ahead

if only you'll forgive me

and welcome me instead

my behavior was uncalled for

but your attention i did get

lf only you'd include me

both our intentions would be met

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12. LD UNEXPLAINED TO ME

By Robert John Meehan

i have a disability

his name is LD

i think he lives

down inside of me

my mom sometimes cries

she's afraid you see

i think she thinks

she'll catch it from me

i go to the doctor

down neath the stairs

she comes to get me

while my whole class stares

she's fixing my progress

without shots or pills

i hope poor progress

ain't a disease that kills

i don't feel a hurt

i'm a little scared though

can i be like the others

or will my LD soon show

will there be spots

or pox or an itchy rash

or will my body just melt

into a pile of trash

i don't want LD

its scary to me

what can i do

to rid it from me

my teacher is nicer

and kinder i see

cause she's moved

her desk even closer to me

i know just why

she did this for me

we were nicer and kinder

to aunt rose before she died...you see

will i have to get shots

and amputations too

or will i be in much pain

before all this is through

when the whispering stops

will someone just say

let's bow our heads

for this poor boy we pray

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13. A HUG at ARM'S LENGTH

By Robert John Meehan

An inveigled law impossible to define

Or a ratiocination barring sensations sublime

Now be it a resolution

Benumbing meaningful hugs

While reassuring arms are brazenly shackled

As if we were thugs

No longer a caring a closeness

Dare be perceived

Nor a lasting acceptance possibly believed

A new forbiddence of sharing souls

Now mandated by the court

By a purblind law demanding

Denying hugs now be tort

Relegating a closeness a bonding forbiddingly conceived

Dare a bad touch to a child be mistakenly perceived

Hence a comforting shield from unannounced harm

Now regulated by law... to a securing glance

Or meaningless words of charm

Now be it... a warm welcoming smile dissolves undiscovered

With only chance eye contact diminishing hope it's discovered

No longer a child shall a teacher's caring soul to greet

Nor our soul's selflessness without sharing hugs when we meet

A law regulating human hugs

They would deceivingly bestow

A hug at arm's length...

Is no way to greet a child we know!

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14. A Teacher's Pledge

By Robert John Meehan

To the DIFFICULT ones

I'll be patient

To the PAINED ones

I'll be concerned

To the FRUSTRATED ones

I'll be committed

To the IGNORED ones

I'll be accepting

To the INDIFFERENT ones

I'll be caring

To the DEMANDING ones

I'll be modeling

To the ANTISOCIAL ones

I'll be including

To the UNATTENTIVE ones

I'll be interesting

To the NEGATIVE ones

I'll be assisting

To the UNFEELING ones

I'll be reflective

To the DISTRACTABLE ones

I'll be focusing

To the UNACCEPTED ones

I'll be embracing

To the SERIOUS ones

I'll be amusing

To the UNEXPERIENCED ones

I'll be enriching

To the SUBVERSIVE ones

I'll be forgiving

To the LAMENTED ones

I'll be consoling

To the OTHER ones

I'll just assign seat-work !

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15. A January Fear

By Robert John Meehan

A sick day a sick day

I'll not make it all year

My class is all here

Down to each little sneer

A sick day a sick day

I'll not make it all year

Those cute little creatures

Have nothing to fear

A sick day a sick day

I'll not make it all year

Still knowing that teacher's

Not entirely here

A sick day a sick day

I'll not make it all year

Each little tear

Makes it perfectly clear

A sick day a sick day

I'll not make it all year

A day off is coming

And hopefully near

A sick day a sick day

I'll not make it all year

It's harder and harder

Maintaining my leer

A sick day a sick day

I'll not make it all year

Perhaps my behavior's

becoming quite queer

A sick day a sick day

I'll not make it all year

Perhaps in the morning

I'll call in and with fear

A SICK DAY A SICK DAY

I'VE GOT A PAIN IN MY EAR

Alas, I can hear my principle jeer

With a resigning smirk easy to hear

NO SICK DAY NO SICK DAY

SORRY MY DEAR

NO SICK DAYS NO SICK DAYS

REMAINING THIS YEAR

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16.Flash Cards

By Robert John Meehan

Flash cards flash cards

Hidden under my bed

Lest my mom drills me

Till I fall over dead

Addition Subtraction

What are all these facts

They don't seem to thrill me

Like feeding my rats

Take-a-ways and pluses

They're all just the same

Just a teacher's evil plan

to drive me insane

I can't seem to add

Without fingers to count

Who's ever to know

If they never find out

I'll never subtract

If it has to be

Cause no one I know

Takes a thing from me

So what if I answer

A single card right

Learning the rest

Would be too hard a fight

Math and arithmetic

Shouldn't ought to be

A young boy's mind

Should always be free

I've got places to go

And friends to see

No flash cards tonight

School ends at three

My mom just told me

A firm warning to be

Do flash cards tonight

Or there's no TV

Perhaps to my mother

I'll just pretend

Not finding my flash cards

Till too near the end

Or perhaps I'll reply

"I left them at school"

Hoping again

My mother to fool

As my mother walks

Towards me

It's too plain to see

A NEW box of flash cards

TO PUNISH POOR ME

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17.The Preferential PLEASE

By Robert John Meehan

"Pass a perfectly plain piece of picture paper."

was Paula's preliminary proclamation

A "Pass a perfectly plain piece of picture paper."

plainly perceived without the preferential PLEASE

Thus,"Pass a perfectly plain piece of picture paper."

perceived without the preferential PLEASE

will presumably predicate a precursory point

that a "Pass a perfectly plain piece of picture paper."

perceived without the preferential PLEASE

probably permits a plausible presumption

that passing a perfectly plain piece of picture paper

probably won't be permitted

primarily as a precautionary procedure

to prohibit possible presumptions that

a perfectly plain piece of picture paper

can be procured without the preferential PLEASE

thus "Pass a perfectly plain piece of picture paper."

preceded with the preferential PLEASE would be permitted

pending a parley with Paula to pattern

her perception that a "Pass a perfectly plain piece

of picture paper." would be plainly permitted

if prefaced with the perfunctory preferential PLEASE

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18.Science to Test

By Robert John Meehan

Apprehending, Applying, Along with Providing

While others are Obtaining, Extending, or Classifying

Interring, Referring, and Randomizing too

Translating, Integrating, and Responding to

Comprehending, Visualizing, and Processing some

Concluding, Paraphrasing, Improvising will come

Selecting, Classifying, Internalizing facts

Questioning, Sifting, and watching the rats

Relating, Previewing, Forecasting the end

Comparing, Paraphrasing, Obtaining pure Zen

Science is easy...no less for some

but Just reading the book sure ain't no fun !

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19.In Memorial

By Robert John Meehan

A desk lies empty

A missing face to find

A child soon missed by some

Another life now consumed by one

A classmate questioned

A missing child to find

While a desk lies empty

A hope dwindles with time

As a child's life once abound

A child's fate is now found

While a desk lies empty

A lifeless child is found

As questions of why arise

A time for quiet tears to flow

While a desk lies empty

A prayer for a missed child we know

A quiet voice to miss

A child missed we know

While a desk lies empty

A question of why to know

A future now not to be

A tragic loss we are told

While a desk lies empty

An answer of why yet untold

A myriad of lives changed

Another youthful innocent lost

While a desk lies empty

At a life's innocence cost

A society believed so rich

And yet a life's worth so poor

While a desk lies empty

Another child's life's no more

A time to ponder a commitment

A life's question to answer

While a desk lies empty...

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20.A Little more...A Little less

By Robert John Meehan

Fewer questions to answer

On each given test

Working with him

While others might rest

Verbal directions

Along with instruction

A multi sensory approach

So that he might function

Making certain he understands

Each plain direction

Even if others

Must give explanation

Assigning the workbook

Just one problem at a time

Lest the student becomes anxious

And falls far behind

The importance of wonder

Is no longer off task

Even this day dreamer

Will have questions to ask

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21. A Bell Too Soon

(Her first recess)

By Robert John Meehan

who am i

my eyes do see

who are you

replied by me

who will accept

me i will see

who to meet

me soon to be

who i like

will be to see

who to know

i'll need the key

who to greet

me soon to be

who to lead

me soon to see

who to be

in need of me

whose smile to be

just made for me

WHO RANG THE BELL

FOR ALL TO FLEE

who's to remain for

me to see

WHO RANG THE BELL

FOR ALL TO FLEE

Who's to see

or be with me

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22.I AM DEFIANCE

By Robert John Meehan

You heard my voice

Long into the night

You felt my presence

As your dreams took flight

You tossed and turned

As I embattled your night

I made you squirm

Throughout this night

Your mind grew weary

As I demanded with spite

That in all your dreams

I belonged this night

I enslaved your dreams

As you cursed the night

From dusk till dawn

Not a moment's respite

Your thoughts soon turned

To this morning's first light

Knowing again this morning

Your patience I'll fight

You sensed my wrath

You knew your doom

Another day's energy

Will be mine too soon

Your hopes...desires

And lessons planned

All soon will fade

At my every demand

The floor is all swept

The desks are all kept

The classroom is lit

They know where to sit

The bell has now rung

For all you to greet

ALL CHILDREN....SAVE ONE

SHALL BE FOUND IN THEIR SEAT

I AM DEFIANCE

Copy Right 1993-2012

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Selections from

The Teacher's Journey

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Post Script

It is easy to see why Robert John Meehan has become one of the most popular of our public school allies. Much has been said about the difficulties and trials involved teaching in our inner-city schools , but little has been done to share the emotions of both teacher and student as Robert John Meehan has.

Robert John Meehan has accomplished much in the area of encouraging others to share their feelings of what can and should be taking place in today's classroom. Likewise, we do need to encourage each other by sharing our own joys and experiences. Any time spent sharing experiences as Robert John Meehan has, will indeed be time well spent ! Please share this web site with all those who do care about our public schools.!

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Selections from

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The Teacher's Journey

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