ESL
Do poetry and other forms of creative writing have a place in English as a Second Language classrooms? Studies suggest that “experiences with creative writing — as writers, readers, or listeners — can enhance ESL writers’ linguistic and cognitive experiences with English, thereby helping them to better understand their worlds through English” (Dvorak, 2004; Hanauer, 2003). While few language teachers are likely to have the luxury of devoting a lot of time to creative writing, most should be able to present a poem or other short work in class occasionally. Students can discuss their reactions in short-writes or journals, prompted by questions such as, “What is your reaction to the poem?” “Were there any specific words that caused you to feel that way?” “What did you like/dislike about the poem and why?” “Have you ever had any similar experiences?” Any one of these questions can also be discussed by students in small groups and then summarized for the class by group representatives, providing valuable speaking and listening practice.
See: “Introducing and Reading Poetry with English Language Learners,” by Kristina Robertson, www.colorincolorado.org; “A Lesson Plan for ESL/EFL Students Using an Emily Dickenson Poem,” by Viorica Condrat, Internet Tesol Journal, www.iteslj.org.
Teaching Haiku
Jeannie Martin’s article, “Thoughts on Teaching and Learning Haiku,” offers some practical tips for teaching haiku to adults. It’s available in PDF on the Haiku Society of America website at www.hsa-haiku.org. With over ten years of experience in the field, Martin writes that “teaching haiku is something like the form itself: direct, immediate, and responsive to time and place…..not a matter of expert-to-student but instead a participation in the deep sharing of the present moment.” She presents three interactive lesson plans that are designed to get students writing haiku from the first session. Also available on the site are plans for several haiku workshops, including one taught by Bruce Ross in tandem with his book, How to Haiku, A Writer’s Guide to Haiku and related Forms (Tuttle, 2002).
Teaching Poetry with AAP
The Academy of American Poets offers a variety of resources for teaching poetry from grades K-12. Essays about poetry, a glossary, articles about teaching, lesson plans, and more can be found at www.poets.org>poetsorg>materials-teachers. In addition, the weekly series “Teach this Poem” presents selected poems from the AAP collection paired with “interdisciplinary resources and activities.”
PEN America Fellowships
Since 1971, PEN America’s prison writing program has helped thousands of incarcerated writers. They provide a Handbook for Writers in Prison, sponsor an annual prison writing contest, and conduct a Mentorship Program. In addition, the Writing for Justice Fellowship “commissions writers — emerging or established — to create written works of lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration…” Applications for 2019 Fellowships are open from April 1st to May 15th ( www.pen.org).
See: “Poetry in the Age of Mass Incarceration: Challenging the Dichotomy of Innocence vs. Criminality,” by Christopher Soto (www.poetryfoundation.com). “How Poetry Can Free a Prisoner’s Mind,” by Dan Kedmey (www.ideas.ted). “Tips for Teaching Poetry in a Women’s Prison,” by Dylan Peers McCoy & Shaina Cavazos (www.chalkbeat.org)
Poetry Out Loud
This organization focuses on poetry as performance, offering activities and lesson plans for reading and writing practices designed to meet NCTE and Common Core Standards. www.poetryoutloud.org
Poets.org
This organization offers a list of poetry and poetry related websites, as well as essays about teaching and lesson plans for the primary to university level. www.poetry.org
The New York Times
“22 Ways to Teach and Learn About Poetry with the New York Times,” by Katherine Schulten, describes a variety of classroom activities to enliven teaching and learning about poetry. It originally appeared on April 3, 2017 and is updated regularly. www.nytimes.com
Jerome Gagnon Blog 