There is a poem out there about a child coloring and the teacher....?

Question

tells him that he has to color the tree with a green top and a brown trunk................

It is something that has the idea of what happens to kids that are not allowed to be creative. I have seen this poem/story many times in collage courses but now cannot find it or think of the name. It would be great if you could help me out..

Answer 1

I think this may be what you are looking for.

This is a wonderful lesson on creativy and how  teachers can totally turn it off---without having a clue as to what they are doing. As the poem  is long---I copied part of it for you. You can find the rest on my website. The link to that page is:

http://www.after-school-care.com/Default...

The poem starts with the child being wonderfully creative--and ends with complete loss of that creativity!

The Little Boy…   Author unknown

Once a little boy went to school--

He was quite a little boy and it was quite a big school.

But when the little boy found that he could go into his room

From the door outside, he was happy.

And the big school did not seem quite so big any more.

One morning, when the little boy had been in school awhile,

The teacher said, “Today we are going to make a picture.”

“Good!” thought the little boy. He liked to make pictures.

He could make all kinds:

Lions and tigers, Chickens and cows, trains and boats,

And he took out his box of crayons and began to draw.

But the teacher said, “Wait! It is not time to begin!”

And she waited until everyone looked ready.

“Now,” said the teacher, “We are going to make flowers.”

“Good!” thought the little boy. He liked to make flowers.

And he began to make beautiful flowers

With his pink and orange and blue crayons.

But the teacher said, “Wait! And I’ll show you how.”

And it was red, with a green stem. “There,” then said.

“Now you may begin.”

The little boy looked at the teacher’s flower.

Then he looked at his own flower.

He liked his flower better than the teacher’s, but he did not say this.He just turned his paper over and made a flower just like the teacher’s.

It was red, with a green stem.

On another day, when the little boy opened the door from the outside all by himself, The teacher said, “Today, we are going to make something with clay.”

“Good!” thought the boy. He liked clay.

He could make all kinds of things with clay:

Snakes and snowmen, elephants and mice, cars and trucks...

(Continued at the following page.)

http://www.after-school-care.com/Default...

Answer 2

I don't know that one but there is a great song on the same subject that says "Roses are red, green leaves are green" etc. It has been recorded by Pete Seeger, among others.