CHILDREN & POETRY

This week we are wrapping up a unit on poetry in my third grade class. This has been one of the best teaching experiences for me because I stopped trying to teach them about poetry. Instead, we read lots of poems, discover techniqiues together, and just write every day. For each lesson they are invited to try something new. Yesterday we were Spinning Similes and talked about avoiding cliche. Today we are talking about the ordinary versus poetic. At the end of the week we will have our poetry reading, but before it's over, does anyone have any other suggestions for poems, poets, techniques, or ideas to share with the class? Ideas are welcome!

Here are some of my notes from our poetry field trip to the Duke Gardens:

I can prompt them: pretend you are this gingko leaf on a trip to the ground. I can ask them what it looks like - their answer of course - a fan. Or I can tell them poetry is hiding all over this garden, and they are invited to seek. Look closely until a door opens. Look closely at not just the gingko, but the way the pine needle twins stradle branches, patterns of light and shadow, the waxy shine of the magnolia leaf. A boy, who just can't stop talking in our quiet space, talks to the gingkos, clusters them, fans his face, declares one the king, writes about ducks not seen. He is poetry.