As a writer of poetry myself, as well as someone who aspires to be a teacher that emphasizes the importance of poetry in my own classroom, both the Turner article and the Christensen chapter resonated with me.
Christensen talks at length about the ways in which having students write poetry allows them to find, utilize, and strengthen their own voice. She says "the classroom can not only be a safe place for students to talk back, but to affirm their right to a place in the world" (28). Poetry is a rare medium that allows students to manipulate the rules and styles in a way that gives them immense freedom. In addition, poetry exists in a ton of different forms and for a lot of different purposes. Students can express and reflect upon their own perspectives and experiences, while at the same time commentating on the world around them and how they fit into it. Sarah and I taught a hybrid History/English lesson about the Revolutionary War in which we first exposed some of the whitewashing of history and revealed some women, slave, and Native American who had been marginalized. We then allowed students to deconstruct documents from that time period and use the words within to create "Found Poems" that showcased the tone/emotion that they believed these marginalized groups would be feeling. The results were pretty incredible, especially considering these were the "30 lowest performing sophomores" in the school, which is the reason they were all in this class. They were engaged, interested, and felt like they had something to contribute--and they did.
Turner discusses the power of expression that poetry possesses. There are two points that are made which really stuck out to me in the way that they frame poetry. One is that "Poems Defy Explanation" and the other is that "Poems Can Alter the Way We See the World." I believe these are critical arguments for why poetry writing should be a mandatory part of ELA curriculum, especially because, as it stands, there are no standards which require the teaching or utilization of poetry in the classroom. If we have students who are struggling with literacy issues, writing poetry can give them an opportunity to write freely and comfortably and increase their self-efficacy as writers. If students are struggling with personal issues, writing poetry can give them a platform to express their perspectives and emotions in a way that is purposeful. Understanding that poetry can be used in situations other than just creative writing, and using it tactfully and purposefully to get students working through ideas in their own way, we can build an environment of trust in our classroom and empower students to view themselves as real writers.
Dustin,
ReplyDeleteIt too baffled me that there is no ELA standard in CC for poetry. Granted after reading that article from practicum on David Coleman, it now doesn't really surprise me considering what he had to say about personal narratives. I think you make a great points when you write about using poetry as means of upping student efficacy as well as personal expression.
During the opening of your blog about poetry coming in all different shapes and forms, you reminded me of an old video recording of TuPac getting interigated by investigators. I can't remember the reason why, but I do remember his referring to his rap as poetry. Since my time in the field, I've noticed a lot of students interested in music, particularly rap. How cool would it be to analyze stylistically how raps are in fact poetry, and what elements make them of better quality?