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I observe that Jack initially felt that poems are only for girls.

I notice that Jack is a shy boy who does not like to showcase his work.

I wonder what Jack's family is like.

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Oct 24
O: Jack is apologetic for not understanding the poem, but he has found something that he likes about it.

N: He still feels it is his fault for not comprehending a poem, but it does feel less apologetic. He does find some merit in the way it sounds, and uses it in connecting his experience with those sounds.

W: I wonder how the teacher influenced him to apply his own initial poem/life experiences to it - and how I can do that too

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[October 4 entry]
...not to read it
out loud
...not to put it on the board?
...but I don't like it.

O: Jack does not want his poem to be read out loud, nor does he want it to be published. He doesn't want his poem to be shared.

N: He seems to be embarrassed of what he has come up with and has low self-confidence. He doesn't seem to take pride in his own creation.

W: Was there an incident in the past that caused him to feel this way?

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October 17
What was up with the snowy woods poem you read today?
Why doesn’t the person just keep going if he’s got so many miles to go before he sleeps?
And why do I have to tell more about the blue car splattered with mud speeding down the road?

O: Jack mentions the blue car quite abit, three or four times

N: The blue car may be of some significance to him and he describes it so precisely

W: What does this speeding blue car got to do with his life or how it can be of significance to him and also a dog?

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November 15 Entry
Yes, I used to have a pet.
I don't want to write about it.

You're going to ask me
Why not?
Right?

O: Jack's poem is a mixture of his response to the teacher's instructions in class as well as an anticipation of the response that he thinks the teacher would probably ask him.

N: I noticed that he has responded to the teacher in a poem format. Even though he said he would not want to write about the pet, he has given away the idea that he used to have a pet and hints towards no longer any pet. He tries to anticipate the teacher's response to his reluctance by representing the teacher's question in italics.

W: Why does refrain from writing about his pet?
If he could anticipate the teacher's response, why does he have to confirm it?

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NOVEMBER 15's entry

O - I observed that Jack used to have a pet.
N - I noticed that he was uncomfortable and did not want to write about it.
W - I wondered if his pet was still around? Did the pet go missing? Did the pet die?

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O- Writer is required to write poems after each poem taught
N- Writer insists that poems are not for boys. However, he does put in some effort. His poem also improves as he continues to participate
W- Despite some improvement, why does he still think that poetry is for girls.

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[November 15]

O: Jack used to have a pet. Something happened to his pet.

N: I notice that he was very insistent on not talking about his pet.

W: I wonder what happened to his pet and whether he was still affected by what happened to his pet.

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I tried

Can't do it
Brain's empty

Is he hindered by his beliefs that boy's don't write good poetry?

I wonder if this is due to a lack of trying or is he genuinely having a mental block

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4 Dec
O:  I observe he mentioned about people thinking that what he wrote was not a poem, reiterating that he could not write a poem (see 9 nov).

N: He seemed bothered about others' views of what he wrote

W:I wonder why he would be that.

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[Septeber 21]
I tried.
Can't do it.
Brain's empty.

O: Jack seemed rather unmotivated and negative with regard to writing poetry.

N: I noticed that Jack indicated the reason as to why he was unable to write poems to be within himself, that he did not have this ability.

W: I wonder how much he had tried before he decided he could not do it.

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[Nov 6 entry]
They look nice
typed up like that
on blue paper
on a yellow board

(But still don't tell anyone who wrote them, okay?)
(And what does anonymous mean? Is it good?)

O: Jack likes to see his work displayed.

N: I notice that he emphasizes the fact that  he does not want this name on his work (in brackets) and is concerned what does the word 'anonymous' mean, which was perhaps in place for the 'name'.
- stated on Oct 31 entry, and repeats again in Nov 6 here.

W: I wonder why he writes on the blue car, and also why he's not willing to acknowledge his work displayed.

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O: Jack is reluctant to write poems and did not have a liking for them but gradually started to enjoy them bit by bit. He started out being frustrated with the idea that he had to write poems.

N: He started to develop a liking for poems as he experimented to write some.

W: I wonder if he is actually journalling his thoughts in a form of a poem.

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[Nov 6 entry]

O: Author secretly feels pleased/proud to have his poems displayed.

N: Reminds me of mixed feelings I tend to have of my accomplishments - mix of pride and uncertainty as to whether all concur if I am truly deserving

W: Has the teacher explained the meaning of the word 'anonymous' to him before using it on his poems? Do others really not know the poems are written by him?

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[Sept 13 entry]

O: Author is a boy. He dislikes writing poetry, maybe even writing in general. He also feels that poetry writing is something girls do only. So he has categorized the different types of writing into masculine and feminine?
N: The first line is presented in 3 lines.
W: Why does he feel that poetry is a more effeminate type of writing? Why does the the second line ends with 'boys'? For emphasis?

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O: Jack is not confident to share the poems that he had written.
N: He was reluctant to try wanted his work to be kept anonymous. He said that he won't be able to write one as he does not have the a pet.
W: What has happened before that made him doubt his own ability?

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O: Jack is probably writing a response to Miss Stretchberry's instructions to write poems. He started off with a fixed mindset but as days go by he is willing to try to write one.

N: Jack believes that poems are made up of short lines.

W: What gave him the impression that poetry is for girls?
Why does he seem to be reluctant to try?

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Nicholas Tan
October 24
O: Jack is trying to understand the poem. He seems to like how it sounds.
N: Earlier entries, Jack seemed frustrated or angry. Now, he does not seem as frustrated/angry and seems to be starting to appreciate the rhythm of William Blake's poem even if he did not understand it.
W: What changed in between that moved him from angry/frustrated to being more open to poetry

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O: Jack started off being quite resistant towards poetry.

N: It was noticeable that despite his initial perception towards poetry, he still took note of the details of different poems shared in class and feedback from his teacher. He gradually experiments with writing his own poetry.

W: I wonder how he decides to structure his 'poems' in such a way.

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[November 9]
I don't have any pets
so I can't write about one
and especially
I can't write
a POEM
about one.

O: It seems to be a spoken line. The speaker is telling his teacher that he does not own a pet, so he is unable to relate to the experience.

N: I noticed that the writer is quite adamant about not wanting to write, and he has a great dislike for poems especially. I also noticed that this story is like a conversation he is having with his teacher. We only hear the boy's side.

W: I wonder why the writer dislikes poetry so much. According to the feedback given to the teacher, it seems that the child did not understand several poems that the teacher was using. These poems are written by famous poets but they are difficult for a young child to interpret the meanings of. It makes me wonder which grade the child is studying in and whether the teacher should be choosing more age-appropriate poems for her students. It turns out that he later gains confidence in writing poems.

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[Nov 22 entry]
Pretend I still have that pet?
Can't I make up a pet-
a different one?
Like a tiger? Or a hamster
A goldfish?
Turtle?

O: Jack is willing to write about  an imaginary pet but is reluctant to share about his pet that he used to have.

N: I notice that he does not even want to mention the type of pet that he had. He is firm about not disclosing any details about his previous pet. He mentions that he does not want to pretend that he still has that pet. He is also very careful about not revealing any clues about what his previous pet was and suggests unique pets such as tiger, flea, worm, snail etc.

W: Why is Jack hesitant to share about his pet? What happened to his pet?

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Observe

Jack declares that he cannot write poems and, does not understand the construct of poem – why they take on a certain format, what the subject matter should be, the length of lines and words to be used etc.

Notice

He struggles through the attempt and shares his thoughts and feelings candidly, and is able to put something on paper which he is not proud of.

Wonder

I wonder if Jack’s peers face a similar problem

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[Oct 31 entry]
Yes
you can put
the two blue-car poems
on the board
but only if
you don't put
my name
on them.

O: Jack is open to the idea of having his poem put up on the board but has requested anonymity.

N: I notice that he lacks the confidence as he does not believe/ think that he has written a good poem. He might be afraid of any possible backlash that may arise from his poem being displayed e.g. his classmates making fun of it etc., hence, requesting anonymity to feel safe.

W: Why is he so unsure of himself?
Has he had any similar experiences in the past that might have led to this insecurity?

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[Sep 27 entry]
[...] the red wheelbarrow
and the white chickens
and why so much
depends upon them.
[...] then any words
can be a poem.
You've just got to
make
short
lines.

O: Jack thinks that poems cannot be made up of long lines, and only certain words can be used in poems.

N: He does not seem to realise that the wheelbarrow is an important tool for agriculture and that chickens provide food. To Jack, these words are not 'important' enough to make a poem.

W: Does Jack know the meaning of poetry? Does he know the types of poems he can write?

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Observe
A lot of negatives in the language - I  don't want, can't and hesitations  at the start of the book.
Notice
As it progressors,  there is a shift in attitude. He is beginning to trust more as he asks questions about poems. He is more open to the idea of writing poems or understands that poems can possibly be of different structures.
Wonder
I wonder if his teacher never connected with him, what would his attitude towards writing poetry be like?

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1. Oct 4: Do you promise not to read it out loud? Do you promise not to put it on the board?

O: Jack did not want his teacher to share his poem with the class.

N: Jack did not like to draw attention to himself or his work.

W: I wonder why Jack seemed to lack confidence in himself?

2. Oct 24: Some of the tiger sounds are still in my ears like drums beat-beat-beating.

O: Jack imitated the writing style of the Tiger poem and adapted the use of rhyming words in his poem of the blue car. He was happy with his work and he relished the experience of writing his poem.

N: Jack learnt fast and was able to apply onomatopoeia in his writing too through the description of drums.

W: I wonder if Jack realised he was actually using literary devices in his writing.

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O: The word 'Yes' clearly indicates the giving of permission for the placing of the two poems on the blue-car on the noticeboard.

N: With this granting of permission via a 'Yes' comes 'terms and conditions': his name must not be placed at the poems. ('you don't put my name on it)

W: Why the condition of anonymity? Did a particular experience or event shape his view(s) on blue cars?

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November 6
They look nice
typed up like that on blue paper
on a yellow board.

(But still don't tell anyone who wrote them, okay?)

(And what does anonymous mean? Is it good?)

Observe: The writing has been displayed/published anonymously.

Notice: He seems happy to see his work displayed/published. He is satisfied with the aesthetics of his work displayed. However, he doesn't want the credit.

Wonder: Does he think that anonymity is a good thing? Is he being humble?

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Observe :
• Jack is initially hesitant to write poetry because he believes it is something that only girls do.
• Jack often questions the meaning of the poems that he is reading, and sometimes feels that he doesn't fully understand them.

Notice:
• Jack's poems often reference his own experiences and observations and the poetry he is reading in class.
• Jack is sometimes self-conscious about his poetry and doesn't want others to know that he is the author.

Wonder:
• Why was Jack reluctant to write poetry

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(Oct 4 Entry)

O: Jack has written a poem but he does not want it displayed or read aloud. He does not like the poem he has written.

N: He seems to lack confidence in his poem and is reluctant to share it. He has set some conditions which he wants fulfilled before he shares his poem. He seems to think that he cannot write good poems.

W: What made him think he cannot write good poems?  Are the conditions directed to his teacher? Is the teacher the reason why he lacks confidence? Was there an unpleasant incident which took place associated with poems or any of his writing assignments in school?

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[February 21 entry]
My brain was pop-pop-popping
when I was looking at those poems.
I never knew a poet person
could do that funny
kind of thing.

O: It is the first time Jack has seen a poem that he thinks is funny.

N:
He seems to learn that poems do not have to be entirely serious. It can humor and be playful. He seems to be inspired by this particular poem, which results in him taking a keen interest towards self-expression through what I believe to be concrete poetry [as seen in February 26 entry].

W: I wonder if this was the turning point in character development, from his initial reluctance to poetry to his eventual love for poetry.

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O: The first line and the rest of the lines are of different fonts. 1st line he was answering his teacher and the rest of the lines in his thoughts?
N: I notice that he is coming up with a lot of excuses
w: I wonder why the reluctance.

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[Nov 15 entry]
Yes, I used to have a pet.
I don't want to write about it.

You're going to ask me
Why not?
Right?

O: Jack used to have a pet but he does not have it anymore.

N: I notice he is very firm about not wanting to write about it. He seems to be able to predict what the teacher will ask him. His response in the second stanza makes him sound defensive.

W: What happened to his pet that makes him so "touchy" about even talking about it.
(assuming I am reading this for the first time)

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[Sep 13 entry]
[…] boys

don’t write poetry.

Girls do.

O: Jack does not want to write poetry because he thinks poetry is for girls.

N: He seems very certain that poetry is for girls.
He seems to have some existing beliefs/assumptions about poetry. (This seems quite different from my personal understanding of poetry.)

W: What made him believe that poetry is for girls? What is it about poetry that is associated with girls?

What does Jack think boys should write?