Slice of Life Challenge Day 29
Passion is energy. It’s the power that comes from focusing on what really excites you. When we live with enthusiasm, we fully engage our brains and bodies in our activities, building new pathways that foster health and wellbeing. –Oprah and Deepak, 21 Day Meditation Challenge
I am looking forward to the month of April. Don’t you just love the sound of the word, “April?” I love poetry. Actually some people (namely my husband) think I am obsessed. I can’t help sharing this enthusiasm, passion, obsession with my students. And what better time to celebrate poetry than the month of April! National Poetry Month
Last year I decided to teach a poetry form for every letter of the alphabet. It was a challenge to find one to fit each letter. However, with state testing taking one week, and spring break another, we ran out of days before letters. I want to do this again. I have discovered so many new forms from the triolet to the rondelet, and even a clogyrnach. We will try ghazals and pantoums, sonnets, and ekphrasis. See an alphabetized list on Poets.org.
I plan to continue our Slice of Life blog page for posting poems each day. If you or your class would like to follow us, click here.
I will write alongside my students as I always do and share the results with you here on my blog. I have joined the kidlitosphere progressive poem. See the schedule in my sidebar.
Shh, don’t tell, but we plan to post poems all around the school, secret poems, so we can have everyone reading poems throughout their day.
I am still toying with ideas for a final product. Last year we transformed old books into our own poetry books using a technique called altered books.
Do you have any plans? ideas?
If you teach 7th-10th grade, your students can participate in the Dear Poet Project.
National Poetry Month
Poems will echo in the halls,
be pasted on walls,
carried in pockets,
and shared out loud.Listen to the words
of Naomi Shihab Nye.
Rhyme silly with Shel Silverstein.
Rap with Nikki Giovanni
and imagine like Jane Yolen.It’s a national phenomenon,
this month of poem fun.
Come on in!
The writing’s fine!
Join Mary Lee at A Year of Reading for more Poetry Friday
I am planning on poetry in third grade in April… The sped teacher who is my “next door neighbor” at school has talked with me about the idea of a “poem in your pocket” day. I’ve been being inspired by our fellow slicer Paul at birdsand treesofthemind all month, and now I’ll be checking out everything you’ve included here. Thanks!
Love your idea of posting secret poems around the school. I think I will try that at my community college!! LOL
[…] Margaret at Reflections on the Teche has a very busy month planned. With her students, she’ll be writing a poem every day using a […]
I do an alphabet with my seventh graders. I’d love to see your list! You should post it!
What wonderful plans for a profusion of poetry!
Great plans Margaret! And I just noticed you are after me in Irene’s Progressive Poem! Now I’ll have to be sure to create a really interesting line! I used to have my students hand a poem to every “place” or “person” in the school, but they had to research the “place” and write something appropriate. Classrooms usually were given poems that connected to something they were studying, or places they had visited; the lunchroom got food-related rhymes, & we even did special places like parent bulletin board, bathrooms, etc. I love your secret poem idea. It’s fun to do all sorts of things!
I’m thinking there may be a way to combine the two ideas. This would be a challenge, but putting poems close to a classroom that somehow relates to the grade or subjects taught there. A poem about a principal near the office…I like it!
[…] National Poetry Month (reflectionsoftheteche.wordpress.com) […]
Sounds like you have a busy month of writing planned. I look forward to reading your posts next month.
Love your plans and your poem! Happy Poetry Month!
Oooooh, I love the secret poems around the school. Did you get your National Poetry Month poster this year? Don’t you love it? Thanks for your post. I look forward to reading more about poetry from you.
I have already put the poster up on my bulletin board, ready for student poems. My students loved doing the secret poems and asked for it again this year.
A plethora of poetry! Yay!
You rock. I’ve poemed myself out this month, so in April I’m going to…rest…! I look forward to seeing what you’re going to post next month!
Hi Margaret. Thanks for the inspiration and your poem celebrating National Poetry Month. Last year I provided my local library with printed poems for both kids and adults on Poem in Your Pocket Day. This month our pastor will include a poem in each April Sunday bulletin. Our coffeehouse will feature a poet rather than a musician in April. Most challenging of all, like many others here, I am attempting a poem a day in April. Rather than write from the wonderful prompts, however, I’ll write from memories and photos of family ancestors. Writers are such busy people!