Dinah's Cat in the Hat Testing Poem, Part B

Good morning and happy birthday to Dr. Seuss! This pic is from a national conference session where we performed my poem. I think this is the one we did in San Antonio.

Here's the B section of the poem. There's one section where the audience takes part, reading the words of the voice of reason, in my head. When we do it with schools, it's the students who say this part. You could throw the words up on a SmartBoard, or make a poster someone could hold up, or prep the students beforehand.

THE NIGHT BEFORE TESTING, PART B  by Dinah Pike Houston

B.) I got up from my desk and walked across the floor.
Suddenly The Cat in the Hat burst through the door!
"Why, oh why do you sit there like that?
The test doesn't matter!" said The Cat in the Hat. (gasp!)
"Let's go upstairs and jump on your bed!
We'll jump so high you'll bump your head!"

But I remembered what I learned at school And I heard a voice that was really, really cool:
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES, YOU LEARNED ABOUT THAT.
DO NOT LISTEN TO THE CAT IN THE HAT!

I told him quite politely I was trying to score a four
And I would not be swayed even if I were a bore!
"Let's play, don't study! Let's eat some junk food!"
You know Mr Cat, I don't like your attitude.....

Dinah's Cat in the Hat Testing Poem, Part A

In honor of Dr Seuss' birthday tomorrow, I will be posting my Testing Poem, a little at a time.  It's been performed at our school during a "testing pep rally" which kicked off the start of our state testing. This photo is from when my principal, 2 colleagues, and I shared it at a National Reading Styles Conference a few years ago.

Does your school do testing kick-offs? Do you pay big buck for people to come in and do them, or do you do them yourselves? We have done so many things, all fun and motivating.

So, if your school wants to do my poem, with teachers, or students, feel free. Let me know how it goes!  We had a blast with it and will be doing it this year. Check back often - I will be blogging it in chunks - a couple of stanzas at a time.

THE NIGHT BEFORE TESTING by Dinah Pike Houston

A.) The sun did not shine, It was too wet to play,
So I sat and studied on that cold, wet day.
My brother was napping; how could he sleep?
Tomorrow starts our TESTING and it gives me the creeps!

I planned to turn in early, and wasn't hardly nervous...
But I was really wishing someone would turn down the furnace.
I'd been getting "test ready" and was proud of my work
When all of a sudden, I felt a big JERK!!

( All 4 sections of Dinah's Cat in the Hat Testing Poem are on this blog now.  I hope you enjoy it and read through it with your students.)