Nesbitt, Kenn. 2005. When the Teacher Isn't Looking And Other Funny School Poems. New York: Meadowbrook. ISBN 978-0684031286.
Kenn Nesbitt's collection of humourous poems, When the Teacher Isn't Looking And Other Funny School Poems, is full of surprises. A perfect example of his unique perspective on school is evident in:
Falling Asleep in Class
I fell asleep in class today
As I was awfully bored.
I laid my head upon my desk
and closed my eyes and snored.
I woke to find a piece of paper
sticking to my face.
I'd slobbered on my textbooks
and my hair was a disgrace.
My clothes were badly rumpled,
and my eyes were glazed and red.
My binder left a three-ring
indentation in my head.
I slept through class, and probably
I would have slept more,
except my students woke me
as they headed out the door.
Falling Asleep in Class is funny up until the very last line, when it suddenly becomes hilarious! Nesbitt's expert use of imagery and mesmerizing rhythm lead the reader to make the necessary assumptions that make this a brillantly funny and creative poem.
Extension:
Encourage children to discuss what they think the students in the poem did while their teacher was sleeping.
Ask students to share some funny things their teachers have done in class and then come up with a list of humorous adjectives to describe these events. Then, have the students choose one of those adjectives and try to create a short, funny poem or draw a funny scene.
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