Today, the teacher I work with called me to her room where she read me a poem submitted by one of her students. It almost brought me to tears it was so tragically beautiful. And so well-written…with such advanced vocabulary…and command of complex analogies…hmmmm…wait…
After praising the poem for its orignality and vivid imagery, I left her room, went straight to my computer and googled a line from the “student’s” poem.
I didn’t want to find anything. I didn’t want proof of plagiarism and blatant dishonesty. I wanted to feel silly for questioning. But I just didn’t beleive.
With a frustrated sigh I found a link that took me directly to the original poem, by Christopher M. Harris.
The poem was not for a grade, it doesn’t really matter. Right? Reactions to the poem:
Ms. Nelson: uplifted, encouraged, more and more hope growing for these troubled students we serve
Me: disheartened, discouraged, losing more and more hope in the system that never seems to make enough of a difference
I would rather have the spirit of the optimist. But does that faith in people, encouragement taken in the results of the classroom, justify the absence of truth?!
I want it to be true. I want to take it as encouragement. But I immediately assume a lie, and am justified in the findings! This is not the first occurence of her optimism vs. my cynicism. But the truth is consistent. Somebody please prove me wrong.
All that jazz... 
