I teach English at an urban fine arts high school. My students are extremely creative and thrive on instruction that touches them artistically.
It's a wonder to walk down the steps and hear music emanating from one floor and the sounds of dancing from another.
As young, enthusiastic artists, my students are inspired by music, art, and drama which I incorporate in my English lessons regularly.
My Project
I have been incorporating more contemporary poetry into my English curriculum recently because I find that students connect with it, and it inspires them to write their own poetry.
I read Clint Smith's "Counting Descent" this summer and knew it would be perfect for my students.
Smith touches on themes, such as identity, childhood, and racism; all topics that we discuss. I have no doubt that Smith's poetry will promote active conversations and creative emulations.
I aspire to get students to look deeply into literature and focus on the author's craft. To get them to make that leap, I rely heavily on annotation. Since we use shared school books, the students have to use post-its for annotating, a process that is clunky and intrusive at best. By providing students with their own copy of the text, they will be able to engage directly with the writing on the page. I have no doubt that will help them to better process and analyze the poems.
Please help my students become more thoughtful and engaged readers by supporting this project.
More than half of 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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