12 Idea-Packed Posts about Teaching Poetry

BY MIDDLEWEB ·

PUBLISHED 02/10/2024 · UPDATED 03/18/2024

Cheryl Mizerny

"12 Idea-Packed Posts about Teaching Poetry," published by MiddleWeb on February 10, 2024, and updated on March 18, 2024, is a treasure trove of resources for educators seeking to enhance their poetry teaching strategies, particularly in anticipation of National Poetry Month in April. The compilation offers a variety of engaging, creative, and educational approaches to teaching poetry, aiming to make poetry accessible and enjoyable for students while also addressing broader educational goals.

The article begins by addressing the common challenge educators face: integrating poetry into their curriculum in a way that resonates with students and moves beyond the dread often associated with traditional poetry units. It presents a series of posts that cover a wide range of topics, from making poetry writing fun with 10 cool teaching ideas shared by Cheryl Mizerny, to exploring novels in verse with suggestions from Kasey Short, which provide quicker reads that facilitate deep connections to characters and themes through vivid imagery and narrative poetry.

Megan Kelly offers ideas for integrating poetry throughout the year, ensuring that poetry is not confined to a single month but is woven into various subjects, including ELA, history, science, and math. Her approach encourages educators to plan ahead and incorporate poetry activities that enrich students' learning experiences across the curriculum.

The article also highlights six poetry activities by Megan Kelly that can be utilized all year round, ranging from visual analysis collaborations to creating horoscope haiku, thereby diversifying the ways students can engage with poetry. Another innovative method is the "Peel the Fruit" activity from Project Zero, shared by Kathie Palmieri, which guides students in exploring the layers of meaning in poetry and encourages them to write their own poems.

Linda Rief suggests strategies to change students' perceptions of poetry, including creating heart books and illustrating lines of their own work, fostering a more positive attitude towards poetry reading and writing. Marilyn Pryle shares five fun activities to celebrate National Poetry Month, emphasizing connection, collaboration, and creativity in the poetry learning process.

The posts further discuss the relevance of poetry in addressing social justice issues, with Dina Strasser highlighting contemporary poets who write about climate change and other pressing topics. Gwen Flaskamp argues for the integration of poetry in standards-based classes to develop literacy, analytical, and social-emotional skills.

Brett Vogelsinger introduces the concept of "poetry pauses" as a way to deeply engage students with various aspects of English class, including structure, character analysis, and personal narrative. Additionally, the article covers integrating arts in ELA through creating 2-voice poems and teaching social & emotional skills through poetry, showing how poetry can serve as a powerful tool for emotional expression and empathy building.

This collection from MiddleWeb offers a rich array of strategies and activities for educators to revitalize their approach to teaching poetry, making it a dynamic and integral part of their curriculum year-round.

Source: [MiddleWeb Article](https://www.middleweb.com/40779/12-idea-packed-posts-about-teaching...)

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com