Five Poetry Teaching Tips for New Teachers
“When I was a kid, I used to walk with my fingers making noise down the hemline of so many fields back at home.” – Jewel
There are numerous reasons why I enjoy reading poetry, but the following are some of the ones that stand out to me as the most important:
As April is National Poetry Month, a few weeks ago on New Teacher Chat, I chose the topic of sharing poetry teaching strategies for the straightforward reason that I wanted new (pre-service) teachers and their students to feel comfortable with experiencing poetry. I also wanted to highlight the fact that April is National Poetry Month. I wished for them to be equipped not just with resources that they could share with their pupils but also with specific methods that would assist them in bringing poetry to life in their respective classrooms. This Poetry Chat attracted a large number of new and experienced educators, each of whom had a trove of useful advice and pointers to share. Today, I’ll be discussing five helpful hints for teaching poetry, some of which were discussed in the conversation earlier, that both inexperienced and seasoned educators may find useful in their classrooms.
1. “I Am” Poem
A poem with the refrain “I Am” is an excellent choice for teaching children about poetry since it encourages reflection on the child’s individual qualities. The procedure is straightforward. The poem titled “I Am” is structured in three stanzas, each of which contains six lines. It utilises a predetermined structure with the goal of providing a description of anything, most frequently a person or an item. The beginning of each line has already been written, and the writer is tasked with completing the line by adding a particular word or words at the end of each line. A straightforward tactic that every child will find fascinating, it is simple enough to put into action and serves as an excellent method for the learner to express themselves. It’s possible that reading your children’s “I Am” poetry will help you come to know them on a more profound level.
2. Shape Poetry
Describe the procedure for writing shape poems, which consists of beginning with a shape and constructing a poem from that point forth. Some forms of poetry that are considered to be shape poems include the haiku, the diamante, and the acrostic. The arrangement of the words on the page determines the shape of the poet’s “shape poetry.” Even if the words, the author’s style, and the literary devices all have an effect on the content of the poem, the most important aspect of the poem is its physical form. A strong poetry is created when the form and content are combined. All of the students in the class will take pleasure in participating in this straightforward and exciting introduction to poetry in the classroom setting.
3. Turn Poems into Illustrations
Have the pupils pick out a poem that they particularly enjoy and draw it. You may accomplish this on paper, on a computer, on a giant piece of butcher paper spread out on the ground, or even on the pavement outside your school. Crayons, markers, paint, or chalk are all viable options here. Either encourage the children to discuss their poems while they are depicting them, or just give them the opportunity to create. After completing this exercise, you might want to suggest to the class that they take a “poetry stroll” around the classroom or the drawing area to discuss their thoughts on the drawn poems. You should get other people to come witness the poetry-art. Take into consideration teaming up with a fellow worker who might be interested in participating in this activity with you. Take pictures of the poetry art to save for a possible discussion at a later time. This is a wonderful and straightforward approach to begin learning about poetry and poets, all while incorporating many forms of art into the process.
4. Use Music to Teach Poetry
Ask the pupils to choose their favourite music. (It’s possible that you’ll need to do some screening at this point.) Next, have them recite the song lyrics aloud to one another in the same manner that they would read a poetry. Start a dialogue with them about the ways in which they find connections between the lyrics of songs and poetry. Ask them to “examine” the poetry that is contained in the lyrics. Then, utilising a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, you might think about spending the time to record your aspiring poets in the classroom reading their favourite lines, or you should have them do it themselves. The YouTube Teachers platform allows you to publish your own content. If that isn’t an option for you, you can start a regular poetry feature on your own YouTube channel, which you can either make or utilise. To give you an example, the name of my channel on YouTube is Teaching with Soul. Check to see if your pupils are able to develop a deeper connection to the concept of poetry as it relates to their lives by reading the lyric.
5. Create Your Own Poem in Your Pocket Day
You may simply bring this topic to life in your classroom by using ideas that you find on Poets.org. For instance, you could assign your pupils the task of creating bookmarks with favourite lines from a poem on any day of the week that you select. Carry out a think-pair-share activity with the students, and have them discuss why they chose those particular lines. Did it bring up a memory from something that had happened in their lives? A miserable or a joyful adventure? In addition, on that day, you should project a poem into the wall or onto your interactive whiteboard (IWB), and then have the students read it out loud to each other or with you. Discuss how they are affected emotionally by the poetry. Engage the kids in a conversation about any parallels they notice as they read their poetry. In a notepad or journal, you should have the person compose their own reflecting poem. Make sure you give the pupils enough time to read them out loud if they are able to do so.
There is no question that you could think of other tactics to add to this list. However, now that you have five, do you feel encouraged to dive a little deeper with the teaching of poetry during the month of this particular month? I’ve taken the effort to compile a Poetry Board on Pinterest that will serve as a resource for you as you get started writing poetry, just in case you’re not sure where to begin. Give it some thought, and get back to me!