When it comes to poetry, Emily Dickinson said it best: "If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only way I know it. Is there any other way?"
I hope that the amazing group of students I have in my creative writing class will share Ms. Dickinson’s passion for poetry.
Our school district is a microcosm of our very diverse city. Approximately 13% of our students are African-American, 26% are Hispanic, 2% are Asian, and 50% identify as Caucasian.
At least 34 languages are spoken locally, and 12 religious faiths are practiced in our small city. Unfortunately, the poverty level here is high; in fact, approximately 51% of students in the district receive free or reduced lunches.
My Project
These varied backgrounds and cultures make creative writing a very exciting course to teach. Each student brings something different. The challenge is that creative writing, especially writing an original poem, can be intimidating.
One way I can help my students find poetry more approachable is by helping them create collage poems. To write a collage poem, students flip through magazines and cut out 50 or more words that stand out to them. Then, students must organize these randomly selected words into a poem that conveys a central idea.
This assignment makes writing poetry accessible, and the collage poems turn out to be colorful works of art.
I am committed to empowering students through art.
By providing the necessary supplies including scissors, cardstock, glue sticks,and post-it notes, you are also empowering students through art. They will discover that creating poetry is not as intimidating as they originally thought, and they will have colorful pieces of art to display.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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