Poetry and the student writer: Teaching Discussion 3.24.2020

TORDA'S SPRING 2023 TEACHING SITE

Poetry and the student writer: Teaching Discussion 3.24.2020

3/24/2020

Teaching poetry to young readers and writers can be challenging and also exciting. Prior to spring break, we spent two weeks looking a verse--poetry and a novel written in verse. We close out looking at verse and young adult readers with The Poet X, which mixes a bit of both.

Your prompt this week asks you to think about how you would engage students with poetry. You can consider all of the texts we've explored over this time, but do be sure to include The Poet X.

This Week’s Prompt: Let’s say that you managed to convince the faculty and parents at Brockton High School to let you teach The Poet X in a 12th grade English class that meets the outcomes for the International Baccalaureate Programme. Th IB is sort of like an internationally recognized version of AP. You can read about it here. Some quick facts about Brockton High (from Wikipedia, so, you know, grain of salt) and in general:

The high school is 60.9% African American, 20.8% White, 2.5% Asian, 12.3% Hispanic, and 3.5% other. In 2016 it was made so everyone could get free lunch. Out of its 4,250 students, 2,161 are male and 2,089 are female.

In 2008, Brockton students had a higher level of improvement on the English MCAS than 90% of the Massachusetts high schools. By 2010 it was one of the highest performing schools on the MCAS.[7]
Keep in mind that 12th grade Lit is often a British Literature Survey. The IB syllabus is a little more adventurous. This might help or hurt.
Try to be specific in both HOW you would teach this text and also HOW YOU MIGHT USE IT to teach poetry in general. For the purposes of thinking about that second part, Here is a link to the IB curriculum at Brockton High. This takes you to the IB page for Brockton High. Click on the English HL link for the actual syllabus.

I’m really enjoying the back and forth in these discussion boards. Here’s to another good week.

37 Comments

Gabby Sleeper

3/26/2020 09:00:39 am

One thing that I definitely want to implement into my future class is a writing journal. I want to open every (or most every) class with dedicated time to write. Sometimes, this might be in the form of a specific prompt, and other times it might just be a free write. This routine is something that I feel will pair well with The Poet X. This is a heavy novel with some powerful issues that will surely relate to a lot of students, and I think discussing it later in the year when students are more likely to be comfortable with each other and myself will lead to more open discussions. Additionally, this means that students will be comfortable with the routine of their journals and will hopefully be more honest with their responses. In opening this unit, I would definitely want to give time for students to reflect in their journals before they begin reading the novel. I would ask students to write about a time where they felt that their voice wasn’t heard.
While reading the novel, I would make sure that everyone has ample post-it notes and instruct them to mark the passages that are most impactful to them. On the post-its, give a brief explanation of why. They can talk about what is actually happening in the novel, the word choice, or the structure of the poems: anything that stands out to them. The goal is to encourage students to get students actively reading and really thinking, instead of just breezing through the whole thing. Hopefully, I might even get a little bit of close reading action in there. A significant amount of class time would be dedicated to discussing these notes and really talking about the passages that the students are most interested in.
One thing that I would definitely want to do upon concluding The Poet X would be having a classroom poetry slam. Looking at the various rules listed within the book as a template, I would work with the students so that we can create our own rules to the poetry slam. One rule that I would definitely include is positive remarks only. Just as with our last discussion board, there will be plenty of time to learn and improve. This activity is more about encouraging students to be comfortable with sharing their voices, so while participation would be mandatory, perfection would be nowhere near expected.
In thinking about how to use The Poet X to teach poetry, the main idea that pops out for me would be to use the section entitled “Haikus” as a mentor text for, well, haikus. Additionally, I think that “Nerves” portrays emotion wonderfully. Using this section as a guide, I would have students really focus in on an experience that is tied to a strong emotion. I would want students to really focus on how they felt. What was going through their heads? What physically responses were they having?

Shauna Ridley

3/27/2020 10:21:39 am

Hi Gabby,
The idea of a writing journal is great because Poet X kind of seems like its the narrators journal to get out what she is thinking. The combination of free write and specific prompts will help students to better relate to Poet X on the books level but free write will give them to relate on a personal level. I also love the idea of post it notes and think that it would be beneficial to have students use small group discussion when explaining why they marked it or even a whole class discussion. Definitely a great way for students to learn from their peers and includes a plethora of perspectives. You have a lot of great ideas where students can learn for themselves and take this unit on from a personal stance, much like poetry is meant to be. Great job!

Jailyn Tavares

3/26/2020 09:53:29 am

As a teacher, I would completely understand how poetry might be difficult or uninteresting to a lot of students and I would take that into consideration. The Poet X is a very good novel to use in a classroom because although it is made out of poems, they are easy to interpret and understand. The poetry club and poetry slam also offer more insight to the world of poetry. This novel may also relate to students and some problems a lot of teens in this generation may face. A lot of teens have parents or grandparents who have immigrated to America but still strictly enforce their traditional and religious ways of life from their culture. In contrast, a lot of teens in this generation are breaking out of that traditional and religious way of life and believe that your life should be how you want it and you should believe what you believe is right. Xiomara faces this challenge a lot just like I’m sure many teens do. I feel like this novel can help students with this problem they might face while also helping them read and understand poetry.

During the reading of the novel. I will have the students each pick a poem from a page and have them do close reading on the poem. They will include a response of about a page long and answer questions such as: How is Xiomara feeling? What is she trying to say? How does the structure of the poem relate to what the poem is trying to say? Etc. The students will do the close reading assignment three times during the course of reading of the novel. After reading the novel, as a project assignment, I would want the students to really open up and dig deep into a challenge they face during these teenage years and write a poem on it like Xiomara does. As an extra credit option, they will have the choice if they would like to share it with the class or not just like Xiomara does at the poetry slams. I really want The Poet X to show students that its okay to be different from your family and to choose to believe in what you think is right. That you shouldn’t be confined to what someone tells you and that you should in no way be punished for doing so either.

Maddie Butkus

3/27/2020 04:51:32 pm

Hey Jailyn, your idea of having the students complete close readings of different poems throughout the teaching of The Poet X is a brilliant idea! Students will be able to break down each poem to get a better insight into the different poetic devices used as well as the feelings that are portrayed throughout. Close readings as a whole are a great thing for students to continually practice for they hold an abundance of benefits for getting students to better understand what they are reading about. Additionally, the message to your students about it being okay to be different from the members in their family is a very important one and should be encouraged to them throughout all aspects. I feel as if we as a society do not know how to act around a person that is truly different than us and if we do act, it seems to be in ways that try to put that person down. It is up to us as teachers to encourage our students to be accepting and welcoming of everybody and to really embrace our uniqueness for it is what makes us the special people that we are. It is all about spreading the right message to our students in high school: that they don’t have to change in order to fit in or feel as if they belong. Xiomara touches upon this in “It’s Only the First Week of Tenth Grade,” stating “In ninth grade you are always frozen / between trying not to smile or cry, / until you learn that no one cares about / what your face does, only what your hands’ll do” (lines 5-8). This is exactly the message we do not want to send our students for they should be able to express themselves in appropriate ways that make themselves feel comfortable and as they are. All in all, I hope to use your idea of close readings throughout my classroom as well!

Lauren Melchionda

3/29/2020 09:09:37 am

Hi Jailyn,
I also believe that letting students explore the poetry world is so important in figuring out who they are or if they can relate to certain authors or poems. Many teenagers face daily challenges with themselves every day, and I believe that reading this novel will help them as they figure out what kind of poems they enjoy and relate to. By exposing them to this novel, they will be able to answer all of the questions that you prompted for them,which were very good questions, I answered similarly and added in some of my own prompt questions as well for a 2 page response to a poem of their choice. I enjoyed reading about your ideas for this teaching discussion!

Jess Rinker

3/26/2020 12:31:25 pm

Since the IB focuses on compassion and culture, I would begin the unit on Poet X by showing students this video that UNICEF released a few days ago for World Poetry Day: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/world-poetry-day-young-people-war-zones-across-world-share-heart-wrenching-poems. The video shows students from several different war-torn countries reading a poem about the importance of peace. The article following the video emphasizes the universal power of poetry.

The video is short and interesting, so it’s a good opener. On a deeper level it emphasizes how poetry unifies young people across cultures as they express the need for more peace in the world. Although Poet X takes place in the U.S., X faces is war-torn in her own way, and poetry allows her to find her own peace by the end of the novel. Having both perspectives—global and individual—is important for the ya audience. Young adults are learning how to connect to the world, understand its complexities, and they are learning about themselves and the micro-world around them. A program like the IBD is meant to connect students to the big picture, but, because they are developing so much in their own lives, a book like Poet X is just as relevant and important.

As a future educator, I already plan on having students warm-up each morning with a journal, and Poet X would fit in nicely with that. During the Poet X unit, I the entries would focus on both the content and form of the novel. I would start every class with an opinion question, like, “Is there a wrong way to write a poem?”, “What does a good poem look like?”, “What was a time your parents seemed to misunderstand you and how did you respond?” As we are finishing up the book, I would challenge students to write only in verse, like X does. Then I would host a poetry slam at the end of the week and ask students to share. If possible, I would love to collaborate with other English teachers, or even find a local poetry slam, to show students what it’s like in real life.

Ethan Child

3/26/2020 09:04:38 pm

Jess,
I appreciate your comments about connecting global and individual perspectives. You outline the importance of allowing young adults to connect to literature and their own writing on a personal level, and you provide a great plan for doing just that. Now, I wonder how we can use poetry to bring in global perspectives. One example from The Poet X immediately comes to mind: the haiku. Many students learn the structure of a haiku (five, seven, five!) without learning anything beyond that. Students could benefit from learning the Japanese tradition of the haiku. It could also be beneficial to consider what is lost when poems are translated from their native language. This has me thinking about the possibilities of a global poetry unit; thank you Jess!

Megan Shaughnessy

3/27/2020 01:25:54 pm

Jess, I love how you mention collaborating with other English teachers in bringing this assignment to life. I think some reasons why kids hate reading, especially poetry is that they do not get it or cannot relate. Actively creating your own poetry slam and bringing Xiomaara's experience to life in the classroom will be hugely beneficial. I like how you bring to light the connection to the world students in a course like this would need to make. The world is full of complexities that go unknown to most students, and Xiomara's story is a great way to enter other real-world complications that get overshadowed in other forms of fiction.

Jess Replying to Gabby

3/26/2020 12:59:53 pm

Gabby, I also plan to include student writing in every class, and I agree an in-class poetry slam would be perfect for Poet X. Let's hope we're teaching in the same school together one day so we can collab!
One strategy you add that I think is really important is the idea of the post-it notes! Having students. begin by identifying a passage that. impacted them is the first step in a discussion. Having them explain why (as you do) dives them even deeper. It's a great way to make students more comfortable with sharing their ideas. Instead of just asking, "What did you like in the story/" out of the blue, they have time to process and you can ask, "What did you note down?" drawing their attention to a specific talking point.
I can tell that you're going to be an awesome teacher, because even from this breif post I can see you really want to connect with students. The implementation of the poetry slam and focus on how students are feeling show that. I also love how your focus with the poetry slam is effort, not perfection. One way students might be even more comfortable with reading their poems is if they have the option of recording themselves reading it beforehand, then show the video to the class. I know this might take way some of the benefits and skills of performing live, so it would really depend on your goal as an educator. If you felt like it worked with your lesson objectives, it might be encourage students to practice speaking with emotion with the ability to refilm.

Ethan Child

3/26/2020 08:51:52 pm

For years now, I have believed that slam poetry or spoken word poetry needs to be included more in the ELA classroom; in fact, last semester, I presented a research project at the mid-year symposium in which I argued for the implementation of spoken word poetry in the secondary classroom as a means of empowering marginalized students. Spoken word assignments would provide a space in curricula for thoughtful and explicit instruction in effective speaking—something that is all too often left out of the English classroom. Allowing students to practice oral skills, like prosody, is beneficial not only because it gives them an opportunity to build good speaking skills but also because it illuminates structure and meaning in texts. There are things that students can learn about a text from speaking and hearing it that they would not be able to grasp as clearly if they were only reading it.
With this in mind, I would use The Poet X as a bridge text for a larger unit on poetry. I would have students read selected poems aloud, after providing explicit instruction in how to read poetry according to punctuation and other textual cues. Additionally, I would encourage students to allow the content of the poems to inform their oral readings. They should emphasize words and phrases that give the poem the most impact. This style of orally reading poetry could directly lead to instruction in other forms of poetry. For example, I could have students orally read Shakespeare’s sonnets, analyzing them in the same way that they analyzed Acevedo’s poems. I think that this approach would show students that no single voice in literature is more important than another, and that different cultures, languages, and vernaculars can produce equally rich poetry.

Becky

3/27/2020 02:06:26 pm

Hi Ethan- I am so going to steal this. I wish I had thought of this and included it in my own answer! I feel like I leftest this out. The speaking requirements are neglected (in general) But I feel like a lot in poetry unit when they should be way more accesible! I love spoken word and it is another way to bridge writing and speaking requirements in classrooms. And another way to bring diversity into the authors we look at in the classroom. I would totally put a day in my poetry unit focused on spoken word and perhaps include a reading as something my students should do. I also like comparing Acevedo to Shakespeare- I think that's a great way to make him less scary- and Shakes should be read aloud! The point was for it to be preformed no? Also a good way for visual and audio and hands on learners to come together if they have to stand up and act out a scene or two that you really want drive home for them to remember- great job!

Shauna Ridley

3/27/2020 10:14:26 am

To engage my students in poetry I would play them a song of my choice that I enjoy then explaining why I enjoy it. After presenting my song I’d have each student pick their own song to play for the class, explaining why they enjoy the song they chose. I think a few students a day leading up to Poet X would be beneficial. Students can focus on the beat, lyrics, mood, artist, music video, instruments etc. but must explain all the elements they enjoy about the song and why. I would then explain that music is poetry and that each song has many elements put into it as we can now see. Some we don’t even notice and others have pointed out to us. Poetry helps us to understand the world around us and get feelings out that the world must hear.
After introducing a form of poetry I will have students scan the novel Poet X and note all the aspects of the book they find to be substantial and mark out those spots. Aspects may include the title, author, dates on pages, bolded headings on pages, form of each poem, the separate parts of the book (part 1, 2, and 3) etc. This will help students to hypothesize about the series of poems and recognize that everything added to the pages is intentional. The time span, the layout, etc. After taking these pre-reading steps, the students will be broken up into small groups to read the book together and discuss prompts that I give them.
Teaching this book will be difficult because of the content. I’m sure that students will be able to relate to some aspect of the book whether it is their home life situation, love life, identity struggle etc. that could make conversing about the book a touchy subject. In the same ways the book can be very eye opening to students as well. They will learn about other cultures and other people's lives in general as that is an essential part of the International Baccalaureate Programme. Many students will not go through the same struggles or victories as others do such as coming out as homosexual, standing up to people important to you, living under religious beliefs etc. After reading I think it will be beneficial for students to write a poem about their own lives.
To begin this process students will be asked to write down the dynamics of their lives including the good and the bad. How students want to take this challenge on is completely up to them. They can work with a partner or solo, use a layout of their choice, pick what goes in from the list and what doesn’t, and how long or short the poem is. Students will be aware that they can share with the class but do not have to. Sharing will give them bonus points and also will give the class a chance to ask questions and share positive comments. This experience will add to learning more about other cultures and family dynamics.

Nicole Costa

3/28/2020 10:03:21 am

Hi Shauna,
Your idea to analyze a song like a work of poetry is great way to open students up to the idea of poetry. I feel like many high school students tend to resent poetry because they feel like they don't understand or connect to the content.The connection that you share gives students an experience that parallels Aman and Xiomara's when they listen to J.cole and Kendrick. Back in the day, I did a presentation on poetry in a speech communication class. My idea was similar to yours here. I recited Kendrick Lamar's Poetic Justice (without giving them the author) to the class in a different tone and style and I had students guess who the poet was. Most thought it was Shakespeare. I think its important to explain how music poetry, like you stated.
However, it's also important to remind students of Xiomara's experience in her first poetry club meeting. Xiomara reflects that she doesn't "always understand every line/ but love the pictures being painted behind my eyelids" after one of her classmates shares a poem. Students often shy away from analyzing poetry because they don't understand it, but we must teach them that it's more than that. Also, I like how you mentioned analyzing the separate parts of the book. I overlooked the significance of these parts because I was so consumed by the powerful nature of the book. The parts are so important to Xiomara's identity I think it would be beneficial to break them apart and analyze the poems in each.

Megan Shaughnessy

3/27/2020 01:41:52 pm

The Poet X reminds me of "I'm So Fine" by Khadijah Queen. They both share a collection of fearless poems that embody the complicated realities in peoples' lives. Elizabeth Acevedo gives the readers a lot more to work with in terms of poem technicality that would be great for an IB 12th-grade literature class at Brockton High. Acevedo uses poetry to tell the story of Xiomara while also expressing the different kinds of poems and what they do. But not only what they do stylistically and fundamentally but what they do psychologically and emotionally for the writer. With the Poet X, I would want advanced 12th graders to dissect different styles of her poems, first understanding what various forms of poetry are used for. Knowing how to set up a poem correctly is necessary but not as important as the words, which is why doing this in such a diverse classroom will allow all students to have a voice for their own stories.
Like said by Acevedo, "Poems...felt a little like our own stories," and most English classes focus on specific stories that do not resonate with a diverse classroom. This poetry assignment is to highlight all the stories that are not heard and give students the power to voice them in importance. Brockton High is such a big school these students are all coming from different cultures, different families, and different circumstances, like Xiomara a lot of them probably do not feel heard. I would like to as a class explore the themes within the different kinds of poems she uses. As a class we will then have a list of topics from certain portions of the book like, home struggles, school struggles, having a crush, silence, happiness, etc etc. While working with this piece I want students to learn about poetry, but mainly want to show students another outlet for their voice. Each day students will have a list of themes to choose from. Each day depending on their mood, they pick a topic and write in the correct poetry form each day, Haiku, verse, etc. This will give students practice with the structure in understanding poetry but will also allow them to debrief emotions on their own terms. Each day students will be writing in different tones and moods, working through all the complexities of poetry. By the end I would have students decide which style of verse they liked the best and allow them to create a journal project of their own. Their prompt would be, when was the last time you felt free? Or, what would it take for you to feel free? For a week straight, students will write their own version of the Poet X in a form they prefer, fiction or nonfiction. But each "project" should have a real-world challenge, more prominent picture theme behind just writing a verse. Something that resonates with them individually. At the end of that week, each student will share one journal entry, while encouraged to use their hands, bodies, and voices to deliver their own stories best. Students will be challenged to teach something to their classmates about themselves, their families, or their culture during this assignment, so hopefully, by the last presentation, each student will feel the importance of their own voices and thoughts.

Becky

3/27/2020 01:59:54 pm

I want to start off by saying that the text feels really relevant to the population of Brockton high School and we all know how important representation is so a hispanic female author is one that I would want to highlight in my future classroom- like some of my fellow classmates,I plan to use a writing journal in my classroom and to start off a poetry unit I would introduce ideas about poets/ poetry using their writing journals. I may start the first day of the unit off with a prompt about "if you were to see poet in a cafe writing what would they look like to you? what is poet you described writing about?" just to see what my students may think about stereotypes of poetry authors I might let them write on this for 3 minutes and then change the prompt to where they need to describe themselves as a poet and things they may write about this prompt would have a little longer of a time for them to write about. Then next to this writing I would introduce Acevedo as an author before we read her text.
I think The Poet X would be a good first text of the unit acting as a bridge text between narratives we have already read this year and finding meaning in a new style (poetry) which I acknowledge can be hard when you've never read/practiced with it before. We can explore the way as a text the narrative explores themes like faith and power and gender but also how in poetry what are the ways different forms of poems and devices within them can say different things about the same theme in a single text. These questions may be ones we are reminded of at the begging of several classes and one we strive to answer in a short essay question on a quiz at the end of the novel (because we do need some form of summative assessment sometimes even though I'm down with grades as not always the best measure of intelligence/ effort)

I think also I would challenge my students to creatively write poems about their names as a prompt to end the lesson on this particular text- Since I think naming things and names in general are important to Acevedo's own work we could try and copy some of her own moves and workshop in class one day our poem as a creative writing assignment to add to our grade. The text would serve to transition us into maybe more classic poem narratives and we can compare Acevedo's pieces and moves her poems make and see if they are preset in older works like for example I think Hamlet or Beowulf (do you learn those in 12th grade? I think you do) which are poem narratives would be a good next step from this text because its poetry yet still a narrate and then maybe transition to works by Tennyson, Kipling, Rosetti- others I'm sure who write more single works and we can focus in on analyzing the way shorter texts still make just as much meaning as narrative ones. Also the ways we write about poems as analytically versus the ways we do novels and how some of the same rules about argument and thesis stay the same.

Hannah Brodeur

3/29/2020 09:03:08 am

Hi Becky! I think the connection with Xiomara’s heritage and your students will be very effective. So many times, in classrooms we often read texts by the same authors who are almost always white and male. However, through “The Poet X” students having the opportunity to feel as though their voice is being heard. Therefore, it is extremely important to highlight that for them. I also think the short essay questions can be very effective. I think it would help students to get their thoughts out and understanding of the text. I also think it would be a way for you to know if students are struggling with it. Therefore, I would make it known if it is a low stakes assignment. Many times, when students hear “essay” they may stress out about it. Therefore, if you make it known it is not, they will be more likely to write freely. I think using this text as a bridge into other poems and activates is the best option, it is also what I would do with my students. It is a great opener for students to be introduced to poetry. I also think the creativity assignment is a great addition to the lesson. Many times, assignments can feel impersonal at times or students may want to do something different than the standard essay. But this assignment would allow students to present how much they have learned while also being creative and having freedom. I might add one small assignment with it in which you would have them reflect about the experience. Therefore, explain why they made the decisions in which they do through items such as word choice, or tone and etc. Therefore, you know who has a grasp on these concepts and who does not.

Maddie Butkus

3/27/2020 04:30:13 pm

When it comes to teaching poetry within any school and/or any classroom, there is definitely a chance for some confusion throughout the unit. While poetry can be a quick read, the deeper meaning behind poems and thus what they represent can be very hard to comprehend at times. If I were to teach poetry to the 12th grade English class at Brockton High School, I believe that The Poet X would be a great way to start out this unit. Judging by the high school’s diversity rates as well as their excellent International Baccalaureate Programme, I believe that The Poet X would be able to not only connect with these students, but also help them to better comprehend poetry in a way in which they can relate to (even if only in certain ways). Additionally, The Poet X would allow these students to focus on developing a stronger sense of their own identity and culture as well as the ability to understand people from other cultures which is highly encouraged within this program.
To break this down a little further, I would start my poetry unit like many of my classmates and use the students’ everyday reading journals to write a poem of their own about a time where they felt they could not be themselves or found it difficult to do so. I want them to use their poem to express how it felt for them to hide their true selves whether that be to fit in, to please their parents (like Xiomara had done), etc. Before I have my students dive right into this powerful work, I would explain to them that The Poet X contains issues and situations that many of them may relate to along with the use of some intense language and dialogue. I want them to know that they are in a safe place within my classroom and can come to me with any questions or concerns. While reading this novel, I want students to have post it notes as well as a section in their notebooks to write down thoughts about certain poems, pages they want to refer back to, and moments that struck them throughout. I also want them to take note of the different poetic devises used throughout the work like analogies, metaphors, and even moments of stereotyping. It is with all of these elements that students will better understand the deeper meaning behind poems, especially Xiomara’s. I will help guide their note taking by giving them certain questions to respond to after they read a certain amount of pages. I will also hold a number of classroom discussions during the reading of this novel, asking them questions not only about the novel itself but also how they felt while reading it. It is here that I want students to learn from the insights of each other, thus creating a student-centered learning environment with me as their knowledgeable guide, just as IB Programme encourages.
At the conclusion of teaching The Poet X, I will have my students complete two different assignments to help them further understand the novel better as well as poetry as a whole. The first assignment I would have them complete is once again read through the “Spoken Word” poem found within The Poet X. After reading this I would have them answer the question, “After seeing how just this one video of spoken word poetry made Xiomara feel, what is poetry able to do for readers/listeners?” Once they had answered this, I would then have my students prepare there own slam poetry piece in which they can either present it in front of the class or make a video of themselves performing it. Finally, after everyone has presented I will then have them answer the question, “Now after writing and performing your slam poetry piece, what is poetry able to do for writers/performers?” We will end with a class discussion comparing these two questions and the answers they came up with.
It is with all of these techniques and assignments that my students should feel confident going into this complex and intriguing unit of poetry. The Poet X would serve as a great introduction into our poetry unit because most of my students would be able to relate to this novel in some way or another and thus get them a little more comfortable with reading and writing poetry. I have always loved reading and writing poetry because it allows everyone to express themselves in an abundance of ways so I would be so thrilled to go on this exciting journey with my students through the world of poetry.

Nicole Costa

3/28/2020 09:38:00 am

Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X is a powerful piece of work that I would love to teach in any classroom. If I had to teach it to the students of a Brockton High School IB English class, I would do the following:

First, I would use the text to teach poetry in general by comparing it to a few extraordinary poems by older female poets. For one, I would show verse compared to Emily Dickinson “Hope” is the thing with feathers” (my favorite Emily poem) and Phillis Wheatley “On Being Brought From Africa to America.” I would use these poems to illustrate different styles of poetry; for example, AABB ABAB rhyme scheme. Another reason these poems would be useful for comparison is, one, Acevedo’s poem “Hope is a thing with Wings.” This poem instantly reminded me of a twist on Dickinson’s poem. Acevedo’s poem, however, is three unrhymed lines. Wheatley’s poem displays a religion conversion, and we could compare that to the religion and race in The Poet X. We could also explore the impact of Acevedo’s use of space and her technique. For example:
“Sometimes I want to tell her, the only person in this house
Who isn't heard is me.”

However, this text is more than just a book about poetry. It’s deeply rooted ties to religion, race, body image, gender identity, and socio-economic status make it a diverse piece of work.
One of the goals of the International Baccalaureate Program is to “develop a strong sense of their own identity and culture.” As one of my assignments for the IB classroom, I would implement something similar to Erin Gruwell’s “Freedom Writers” diaries. First, we would explore family history, culture, and, most importantly, identity (like X). These “diaries” or journals would be something we would treat as a work being published. I would hope to even partner with Bridgewater State’s journal The Bridge and they could help walk students through the steps of publishing a journal. As we witnessed vicariously through Xiomara’s experiences, sharing poetry is an anxiety filled mission. Before our first in class sharing, I would ask students to write a mock poem of Xiomara’s Nerves. I myself have shared this anxiety. I would share my own poem I wrote about the nerves of getting up in front of people and sharing my work. I wrote this poem in one of my creative writing classes years ago in reflection of having to share my work every week:
Writing Poetry

The horror starts in my stomach
gut wrenching sensations,
daggers explode,
moving up,
quickly,
infecting the place
where the intellect resides.

the tumors are incurable
my brain

It is running a marathon
The 500-meter dash of “what-ifs”
I am the contestant

Slowly,
It starts to unravel.
All muscles hit a wall
There is graffiti contaminating the barrier
Screaming out
Drop a bomb
Light a grenade
Spill the ink on the paper
RETREAT, RETREAT
There’s too much to lose,
The battlefield is drowning in blood,
Stanzas lay with arms chopped off
The speakers bullet wound runs deep through the chest

the valves are clogged
where the blood flows

the rhyme holds up its white flag
Defeat.

To implement one IB learning goal such as, “In IB, you will be exposed consistently to opportunities to develop your IB Learner Profile Traits such as being open-minded, inquisitive, reflective, and caring,” students in my class would plan and execute mini poetry readings in their community. This activity would encourage students to engage with a place where they feel is their “community.” For some, this may be a church, a mosque, a coffee shop, or a park. I would want students to plan their own mini poetry reading session to reflect their own personal identity. Other students would utilize their “open-minded” traits by attending the different spaces of importance to other people. Also, students would experience the impact of reading poetry in different spaces. Space or environment can be a freeing experience, or, the opposite, a place you feel trapped. The International Baccalaureate Program guidelines will be met because students are using creativity to plan their own poetry readings and by writing their own poems.

Savannah Resendes

3/28/2020 10:56:41 am

Hi Nicole! Your plan for the Poet X sounds absolutely amazing. If I had been taught about poetry like this in high school, maybe I wouldn’t be so reluctant to work with it in my college years. I really liked how you tied in the works of Emily Dickinson and Phillis Wheatly. You tied some classic pieces of poetry to a modern rendition of poetry and I believe that this is more digestible way of looking at poetry when in high school. It is less overwhelming and makes it more enjoyable for the students to look at the pieces and compare them. I also really liked your idea of partnering with the Bridgewater State Journal. It would give the students a sense of pride knowing that their work could be publish for people to see and be put in Xiomara’s shoes when she experiences the same feeling at the poetry slam and knowing that their work could speak to people. Your idea about anxiety is also very clever, but I think students might be reluctant to talk about their fears and anxieties out loud. I personally was a very quiet student in high school and didn’t want to share those personal feelings with my whole class, but I do like the idea of the students opening up. I also really enjoyed reading your poem, I felt the overwhelming emotions that you express in your poem when anxiety hits and the feeling of your mind running a mile a minute. I hope your future students would feel the same. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your poetry unit ideas using “The Poet X” as you main text. I, myself, would have loved this idea as a high school student.

Gabby Sleeper

3/28/2020 11:03:39 am

Hey Nicole!
I wanted to start off by saying I love your poem. I think sharing that with your students is a wonderful idea. Not only are you providing them with a sample to guide them in their own writing process, you are also showing a more vulnerable side to your students. You’re showing your students that it’s perfectly normal for them to feel anxious when it comes to writing and sharing poetry. You know how they feel, and that will hopefully help them feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts with you. I would suggest that, in addition to sharing this poem, you also share your writing process. Poetry can be frustrating for students because they don’t know where to begin. Going through your own process may help students to figure out how they themselves want to start. Additionally, I like your idea of having students share their work within their communities. However, I would love to hear more about how this would work. Would they write a journal to reflect on this process? Share their experiences in a class discussion? Remember, students usually aren’t usually particularly enthusiastic about having to do work. Simply asking them to go out and read their poetry without having some way to hold them accountable will result in most students just not doing the assignment at all.

Savannah Resendes

3/28/2020 10:42:29 am

Poetry can be a challenge in high school, as I believe it is simply brushed over quickly and barely scratches the surface of what it really is. Most high schools cover it briefly just to say they did and check of a box, but there is more to poetry. I feel a good source for teaching poetry in high school would be a combination of the last two book we read, “Long Way Down” and “The Poet X”. Both are written in a poetry format, but they feel much easier to comprehend and read than what a high schooler would consider a poem. Looking specifically to “The Poet X”, I feel like this would be a great book to teach at Brockton High because this book deals with a young woman of color, and a majority of this school are people of color. Xiomara can be relatable to those student who struggle with family dynamics and questioning religion and culture or dealing with their first crush, struggling with sexuality, as Xavier was. There is something for everyone to relate to in the novel. If most of the class focuses on British Literature, I feel like this would be a breath of fresh air, and a different perspective onto the pieces of literature they have already analyzed in the past.
I would have students pair up into little groups of two or three and I would have them preform a close reading on at least two passages of their choosing. I would have them focus on the tone, the structure of the actual page itself, the diction, the meaning of what is happening in those lines, etc. Then I would have the groups discuss their findings to the class and have a group discussion about their findings or if any other people have a different interpretation of the same page. I personally enjoyed the assignments from Ms. Galiano throughout the novel, so I would have the student pick one of those topics and write a paper based on their personal experiences. At another time, I would focus on the Haikus placed throughout this novel and spend a day talking about haikus, and the structure of one, have the students practice writing them. On another day, I would focus on the poetry slam and talk about what happens during one. Then I would have the students explore YouTube for video of spoken poetry that they really enjoy and analyze it like they did for the close reading. They would answer questions such as: How does the poets voice project their tone? What is the poet feeling? How did it made you feel? What types of motions are these poets using to portray their story? etc. As an end to this poetry curriculum, I would have the students write their own poetry and if they would like to, preform it for the class stimulating a poetry slam. I feel this would be a very fun unit for high school students and a fun way to learn about poetry that differs from the traditional ways of teaching it.

Molly Drain

3/28/2020 05:58:14 pm

Savannah,
I touched upon a similar idea in my post about how quickly poetry was skimmed over in high school, and it was (I don't want to say encouraging) but nice to hear that I wasn't the only one who felt like this had happened for them as well. I enjoyed reading both "The Poet X", and "Long Way Down" and felt that they would be high school level reads. I believe that "The Poet X" would be best suited for a 12th grade class in Brockton. I think it is important to note, as you noted, that this book specifically touches upon the life of a young woman of color. Although this aspect is important, i don;'t believe it is the only driving force I would have behind teaching this book. "The Poet X" touches upon issues regarding race, religion, identity, etc. All being topics that relate well to the demographic of students at hand. I liked "The Poet X" because you felt a connection as you read to what Xiomara was going through and what she had experienced. I feel like this would relay well to students in a 12th grade class, as they are most apt to have experienced or are experiencing some of the things Xiomara is going through. I also talked about in my post the idea of close reading. I think this is a great way for the students to dive deeper into the text and for them to understand it better structurally and content wise. I think the idea of using the same prompts from inside the book is genius and wish I had thought of that for my own post. This would be a great way not only to engage the students with poetry but with the text as well. Your approach is different and I feel that it would be refreshing for a class of this age. would you still have the students in groups for the Haikus or for the poetry slam? I feel like this would be a productive group situation. Would you be concerned about the students holding back when they performed or wrote poetry to perform it? I ask this because I feel like when presented with an opportunity to perform, mandatory or optional, I find that students are hesitant or reluctant to put out anything too personal or deep out of fear of embarrassment.

Molly Drain

3/28/2020 05:43:39 pm

If I were to teach poetry to a class, I would want to make it interesting. I say this because when I was taught poetry in high school it was one of the worst experiences I have had. I believe this was a negative experience because I was not provided the opportunity to create my own poetry or to investigate different forms of poetry and instead was only dictated to, which is never a great teaching method. Since then, I have always struggled not only to enjoy poetry but also with writing poetry myself which has prevented me from taking any poetry based classes. Anyway, teaching poetry in a 12th grade English classroom, specifically in Brockton ma, sounds like a wonderful opportunity for growth, not only for me as a teacher but for the students themselves. I believe that students work best when they can connect to what they are working with and what they are reading. I would use The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo as a base for what poetry can look like. However, this book is not only about poetry but the story behind it that really shines through. This story is dynamic and entertaining while at the same time deep and engaging. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a great book to use for this demographic as well as this age as Xiomara experiences life as a young woman. Regardless of the gender, many students have faced the same situations she has and have experienced similar if not the same feelings she expresses throughout the story and through the use of poetry. After introducing poetry as our subject matter, I would have the students start with chunks of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. By this I mean segment the story line and from there have the students select a single poem or a few that they can break down. There are parts of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo that stuck out specifically to me that I would want to point out to the students to see their reaction. The poem on page 39, versus the one on 41 are two that I would focus on. The first being the rough draft of an assignment for school about “The most impactful day of your life”. It is key to note that Xiomara writes first about a deeply personal experience for her draft, which then turns into a rather censored experience that seemed fit for school or less embarrassing for others to read. This for me would be an important teaching point, not specifically about poetry, but to note that you shouldn’t have to feel like you have to hide who you are when it comes to your writing. Holding back your emotions and deep experiences provides for a less descriptive piece of work that you can notice the change of emotion and detail. I would ultimately like to encourage the students to write or try to write their own poetry. I might not even have them hand it in. I feel like a poetry log or journal that only they can see or is only between the student and the teacher. I feel like this is the best strategy to use with students of this age as they are always concerned about what their peers think and without the peer element they might open up more and write with more detail.

Caroline Keenan

3/28/2020 08:11:22 pm

Hi Molly!
I totally agree with you that when teaching The Poet X to a 12th grade class we would need to make it fun and interesting. In high school I also struggled with poetry because we were never able to have fun with it…. it must be a high school thing. I really wish that when I was in high school we were able to read The Poet X because it might've changed our outlook on poetry instead of reading boring poems that we can't relate to in high school. Using Xiomara's example of her personal experience poem is a great idea. I love that it would help to show students to put emotion and true things into your poems. Often times when I would write poetry I would write about something other than myself. Showing the students that it is ok to write about yourself and their emotions would be super impactful. Students may then use poetry as their escape from reality and a way to escape their thoughts. I think that this is a wonderful connection and learning point that you created. Having the students write about personal experiences would create trust and help students learn that is always ok to have people read how your feeling or what your thinking.

Caroline Keenan

3/28/2020 07:58:01 pm

If I were to teach The Poet X to a 12th grade English class at Brockton High School I would definitely keep it fun and engaging to keep the students interested. Poetry in high school can be very hard for some students. It can be a challenge to grasp and understand, the information sometimes because it can involve more thinking and the use of rereading the lines to understand what the poet is saying. When I was in high school I never really liked poetry because I never put in the effort to understand it, now on the other hand poetry is one of my favorite things. The Poet X is a good novel for students to read because it is set up like a novel but consists of a bunch of poems. For the students who like a novel they at least got the set up and feel of a novel and for the students who like poetry they get a bunch of poems creating a novel, it is a win win for everyone. I think the Poet X would be a great introduction to use before teaching a larger unit on poetry because it can help those students who don’t love poetry so much gain a greater understanding. High school students can definitely connect and relate with The Poet X which is why it is also another great way to introduce poetry. High schoolers are able to relate what it is like to go to a new school since they have now been through elementary and middle school. Some of them may even know what it’s like to move from a different country and how hard it can be to try to fit in and make friends. Majority of the students can relate to being bullied or know about someone who has been bullied and how it makes others feel. High school is a time to experiment and try new things and it can be very challenging with strict parents and different cultural values that limit freedom and opportunities. When teaching The Poet X I would have students write how they can relate to the poem that they just read. Can they personally relate? Do they know someone who can relate? Or even do they see themselves being able to relate to the poem in the future? As an educator I would make sure to have open discussions about The Poet X to make sure that everyone is understanding and reading it in the same way and I would also encourage independent and group reading. To conclude the novel The Poet X I think it would be fun to have students get into small groups of three or four and have them act out a scene. Each group would act out the same scene and it would be be to reverse the situation, Xiomara is the one who attends the “genius school” and Xavier attends the Harlem public school. I would have each group do the same scene because it would be interesting to see how they all thing the reversed situation would go. It would be a fun way to conclude the novel and would help to get the students actively involved and thinking what if.

Justin Carpender

3/28/2020 09:00:59 pm

Hello Caroline!

I certainly agree with you that the structure of the book makes it conducive for all students, but I would like to ask a question. In my middle and highschool (they were combined grades 6-12), I noticed that books of this form were incredibly popular. The series that comes to mind is the Burned series by Ellen Hopkins. It is a great young adult novel as it is a great coming of age story written in the poetry format. This book in my school’s library was heavily contested, it felt like everyone had read this book. I kind of forgot about it until reading The Poet X, I am not sure why Long Way Down didn’t cause me to remember it, but I am glad this book did. Was this event and inspiration around reading a certain book series that involves poetry an anomaly for Carver? Was Ellen Hopkins a household name in other schools like it was for mine? Truthfully, this experience clouds how I think students would respond to this book. I agree with you that even for students that loathe at the thought of poetry, this book is still an enjoyable read, as for the Burned series, but I wonder why? The book is not hard to follow, not needlessly flowery in language for the sake of poetry, the form of each page changes. The poetry is in the formatting of the words on the page, it is very physical. Students that despise poetry can get the story from each page and admire how it looks, but the thoughts about form are valuable! Form is crucial in poetry, contemporary and classical. A sonnet is just a block of text with rigid rules in form, whereas Xiomara, and by extension Acevedo, is far more loose with their poetry format, studying the impact on more abstract poetry forms (I’m thinking of the “Ants” section of The Poet X) can really help students understanding the importance of form in more traditional poetry, and by extension, deduce meaning from them.

Thank you,
Justin Carpender

Colby Nilsen

3/29/2020 08:43:00 am

Hey Caroline, poetry can sure be daunting for students to learn, and I feel like most students have the same mindset as you did in regards to not even wanting to put in effort to understand it. I believe it is so challenging because many teachers do not really go into what poems are actually "doing" and that is because a poem is in itself the action. Sometimes perhaps it is not meant to be understood, or only understood to some, such as Xiomara writing in Spanish. It is important to let students know that there is a purpose to this and that their takeaway in the meaning does not always have to be a concrete understanding of the poem, that it just "is", based on the speakers experience. This would be a great poem to introduce that notion, but also, I believe it would encourage more students to be more open to poetry, for I think most students are turned off by poetry due to the disconnect in the "world' that most traditional poems are set in. Many poets seem outdated and even monotonous to the readers of today and having a contemporary author can benefit in teaching students what poetry can be, in that it is so vast in its "rules".

Justin Carpender

3/28/2020 08:32:31 pm

Hello Everyone,

While reading The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, two prominent themes came to mind; there is a heavy focus on gender and religion. Initially, I wanted to look more into connecting it to race as with Long Way Down, but for the character of Xiomara, her religious identity is the most important factor driving her throughout the story. This is a coming of age book about Xiomara discovering who she is, even if it means going against the wants of her mother. She is trying to figure out her place as a young girl when it comes to boys, religion, and her gender. I think the moment that stuck with me the most is when she asks Father Sean about Eve in the Genesis. This moment captures her identity with questioning religion, as well as her own feelings about gender. Father Sean says that Eve “could have made a better choice” (119). From personal experience I know that this is a way where blame in the Bible is shifted to women, that Eve (and by extension women), caused the fall of humanity. This moment stuck out to me because it seems that Father Sean is choosing to ignore Adam’s sin of uxoriousness, defying God and standing by Eve in the fall. This falls in line with the rest of the novel in the portrayal of women receiving the blame instead of men in Xiomara’s life. For instance, later in the book Xiomara points out the injustice in her treatment by saying “men are never called cueros” (194). She understands she is consistently called a whore and a large aspect of that is because of her gender, establishing her gender to be an important part of her coming of age story.

But what does this all have to do with teaching poetry? This book is not necessarily hard to read, it makes sense. More dense poetry is harder for students to break down and they are more apt to reject studying it to begin with. I think creating excitement about this book in trying to find scenes that break down and explain Xiomara’s character can foster excitement when it comes to analyzing how gender and religion work with Dickinson’s shorter and much more complex poetry. It is a good anchor to give students an idea on what they can focus on when going into poetry, to give some direction, even if it is as broad as looking for how gender and religion are being represented. Creating excitement about poetry is crucial in having students be responsive to the poetry unit in class, and I believe this novel can create that excitement through its relatability of a coming of age story.

Thank you,
Justin Carpender

Colby Nilsen

3/29/2020 08:34:39 am

First and foremost, I would take the first class to speak about poetry and would expand upon the 5 essential questions to ask of a poem:
1.) Who is the Speaker?
2.) What is the mood? (how does it make you feel?)
3.) What is the Imagery?
4.) What is the Structure and Stylistic measures the author takes and why?
5.) What is the Message?

Of course, I would also take this class opportunity to elaborate as much as I could on these: mostly about the rhythm (or lack of) and the relevance of stylistic choices in correlation to what the speaker is trying to portray. I believe this would also help fulfill the requirement of “learning how to learn”, for they will be taking it upon themselves while reading to ask these questions and learn about how and why literary questions are important, with the end goal being them always trying to learn more about a piece and always dig deeper.
Before students began reading “The Poet X” by Elizabeth Acevedo, I would ask them to write accordingly to this prompt: How does your family’s culture affect your everyday life? Do you believe you benefit from these values? What do you wish you could change about your culture? Are struggles/benefits gendered? This fulfills the requirement of “asking challenging questions”. While this is a very challenging topic, I believe it is relevant and important to many students’ lives, as well as the novel.
I would introduce them to poetry in my course through having them writing a poem based on the aforementioned question of familial values and culture. Furthermore, this would fulfill the IB demand of developing a strong sense of their own identity and culture. Once in the process of reading the book, I would devise a homework assignment that consists of translating one of the poems Xiomara writes in Spanish. I would have students translate this for two reasons; it shows them empathy in correlation to understanding how it feels to be an ESL student and the struggle of trying to learn a new language. Perhaps some student’s in my class would be an ESL, and this would hopefully make them feel understood and make their peers have a newfound respect for these students. Also, this would be a good point to observe how poetry in general is not always meant to be fully understood, but instead, is a device to explain the speakers thoughts, feelings, or simply observations on a subject.
As far as the IB requirement is concerned, this would fulfill the requirement of developing the ability to communicate with and understand people from other countries and cultures, as well as learning how to learn. I would encourage students to use this assignment as a reminder that if you do not understand something presented to you (i.e. the Spanish language), it is imperative to either look it up themselves or ASK for the answers and seek it out. Learning is as much filling in the gaps of our knowledge as much as it is perfecting the skills they are already developing on. Furthermore, every day at the beginning of class I would write a few Spanish words relevant to the story in order for students to expand upon the requirement of developing ability to communicate with and understand people from different cultures.

Taking the “Asking Challenging Questions” topic and bringing it full circle, I would create a prompt for an essay that would ask students “What was Xiomara’s struggle, and why was her poetry crucial to combating this struggle? How did her familial values and culture juxtapose this notion? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. This would be the formative assessment.

Olivia Sweeney

3/29/2020 09:37:03 am

I love how you incorporated the essential questions you would be using, as this truly is key, especially when teaching such a hard lesson like poetry that many students do not initially like. I also like how you incorporated how you would teach the important aspects that make up poetry, as this is also important. I also agree that it is important for students to be writing, whether it is in a writing journal or even writing their own poetry. It is definitely important that students are exposed to diverse works of literature, as every student should be given the chance to read works of literature in their classes that they not only can relate to, but speak to them as a whole. Many students are deprived of this pleasure and do not get the ample amount of opportunity to read such great diverse works of literature. Every student should have that opportunity, and teaching The Poet X is a great diverse work of literature these students would appreciate and understand, and also simultaneously serves as a great gateway to truly learning and understanding the greatness of poetry.

Samantha Colon

3/29/2020 01:18:39 pm

Hi Colby,

First I wanted to point out the essential questions you wrote because they were relevant and I think it's a good way to start class and introduce poetry to the students. I also liked the assignment you had about translating the poem that she writes in Spanish. I feel this will give the students a good perspective of how hard it actually is for her like you said and the whole process and struggle to learn a new language. I think it could also be interesting if they translate one of their own ones as well to see their own words being put to use, but that's just a thought.

Hannah Brodeur

3/29/2020 09:02:38 am

Poetry can be an extremely tough topic to cover. As I reflect back on my time in High School and the students’ I have seen during observations, it is a dreaded time. Most students emphasize that they “don’t see the point” of it and others give up trying to understand it. Therefore, through my classroom and lesson plans it is not only important to make poetry engaging for students. But it needs to be done in a scaffolding way, so students’ do not feel overwhelmed. I do not want to lose students through the process and further having them hating poetry for the rest of their academic careers. I would have introductory lessons to get students to ease their way into poetry. “Poet X” combines many themes and plot points throughout the entire text. Elizabeth Acevedo evokes raw emotion as the reader continues reading about Xiomara’s life. Therefore, High School students may benefit from creating that ability to create a connection with poetry before actually beginning the text. For example, one activity would be to have students engage in their own poem. I would have students write about whatever they want. However, I would make it clear I would be the only one reading them. Therefore, if a student wants to open up about something personal, they would be comfortable doing so. Also, an activity I would to introduce poetry would be to connect it to students’ lives. I would have students come in with lyrics printed out to their favorite song. I would set some ground rules so that no one brings in a song with an abundance of graphic language. However, I will use each song to connect to poetry. We will go over the writers’ word choice, the tone and etc. Students’ connect to music because it is universal, therefore if I can make students interested through it, they will understand poetry further. After going through each song, I would connect them to “The Poet X”. The text as a number of different themes that consist of identity, love, family, religion and etc. I would connect the themes we found in the songs to themes in the text so students would have some thoughts about “The Poet X” before we begin reading it. Through both of these activities’ students will have the opportunity to connect with poetry on a personal level which will further help them read “The Poet X”. The author frequently discusses her experiences through her life which includes Queens. She explains what she sees everyday including the buildings and people or just the environment in general. This topic could be something students who come from similar backgrounds could connect with. Therefore, I would integrate a reflection journal as we continue to read the text. I want students to understand the text, therefore if we have a reflection journal, they can express their thoughts and ideas as they progress. I believe this activity will also be helpful as Xiomara explains her struggles with her mother. She feels misunderstood as she has differing thoughts and ideas than her mother. Some students will be able to understand that concern of identity. Another activity I would do with students while reading the text is to ask them to pick their favorite poem. Further I would have them close read it, in which they will go through line by line and annotate it. Therefore, students could continue to practice their close reading skills. The text can be an easy read for students, but I would make sure that they are marking up the pages throughout. The faster they practice these skills, the better they will be able to implement them. “The Poet X” is an extremely fascinating story that can connect as well as teach students in so many ways. Lastly, I would use this text as the beginning of my poetry unit. As I mentioned previously scaffolding can be extremely important in poetry and this would be a perfect way to introduce key ideas to students in a form that is easy to read and understand.

Lauren Melchionda

3/29/2020 09:06:07 am

Being a teacher and having to teach poetry, my least favorite types of read of all tie, is going to be a bit difficult for me. Personally, I have such a hard time determining what they’re even talking about because it makes no sense half the time, so approaching this to a senior high school class may be difficult. The Poet X, however, is a great first step to introduce poetry to the classroom because the poems in this novel are quite easy to interpret which is a great start to understanding poetry. Some of my students may also be able to personally relate to some of these poems, as it is a whole book filled so hopefully one or two of them would catch their eye more than others. This also is going to help the understand more poetry as it is introduced in the classroom, even outside of this novel. With that being said, I would have each student pick any poem from this book that they want to for any reason, doesn’t matter what. I would then ask them to write about a 2 page response to the poem of their choice, and ask the following questions on a prompt: What is Xiomara trying to tell the readers? Is there a specific message? Do you notice any types of pattern, meter, or rhyme scheme going on, and if so, why do you think Xiomara chose that specific one? There could be many questions to be on this prompt, but I would mostly encourage them (if they can not answer or have trouble answering those prompted questions) to write about the way that they feel about the poem that they chose, so that they can start to figure out themselves as well as I, the teacher can. I feel as though it is a great way fro students to be themselves and project their first thoughts of poetry.

Olivia Sweeney

3/29/2020 09:31:43 am

With this diverse school, comes a great deal of a variety to teach this text, and how one could teach poetry in general. Poetry can be a difficult work of literature for students to read, and many struggle with truly breaking it down and understanding all components of the work. This is something that as a teacher, I would take into consideration, therefore I would definitely start my lesson by implementing a quick review of importance of poetry and what makes it whole. Although these students are seniors, poetry is very easily put to the side and looked over very easily in some education courses in general. The Poet X would be an efficient tool to have students read alongside learning poetry, as the contents in this novel are composed of poems that students can easily interpret and understand both in class and at home while reading it. It is important that in both middle school and high school’s that these students are enlightened and introduced into diverse texts, as many students are deprived of reading works of literature that they can truly relate to. Even if there are students that do not relate to it, there is always a message to take away from it. I think that in class it would be important for students to work in groups to read aloud select poems from The Poet X, break them down together, and discuss what they each took away from it and any direct correlation hey may have with it. Sometimes when students share their insight with one another, it provides a gateway of understanding that a student may not have initially had. It is also extremely important as an educator to allow your students to work in groups diligently and discuss works of literature with one another, because they may take away a different understanding or standpoint of the text that they did not get during their reading or in class. I also think the notion of incorporating a writing journal in class especially as English teachers is a great idea. With this being said, some of the prompts over the course of this lesson could include but not limited to: “Simply write your journal entry about what you think makes poetry so unique, as well as some of the tactics poets use in their poetry,” “Write about the most important theme you took away from the poem you read in class today,” “What are some underlying issues/themes that seem to occur in all of these poems we have read?” These are just some examples of journal entries I would use to ensure my students are engaged in the lesson and most importantly with the poetry. Some students are too afraid to truly speak up with every thought they have, but when they can write it down, it all comes to life. I also think an important thing to include in a lesson when teaching The Poet X to introduce poetry, is incorporating large group discussion as well as smaller ones, so students can hear one another about how they relate to the poem we just read and any stories they have heard that correlate directly to the text. Bringing personal and outside stories to correlate with a text ensures that students are engaged with the text and certainly take away the overall themes and messages of the text. There are several ways one can teach this to their class, but speaking as a class and smaller groups, as well as reading the poetry aloud to one another and writing thoughts based off of prompts in their writing journals is definitely an efficient way for students to learn poetry. Writing journals are also a great tool as they will always have their thoughts written down on paper and can look back at any point in time about what they felt, thought, and read when reading the poetry.

Shaun Ramsay

3/29/2020 10:47:12 am

Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X would make a good lead-in to more difficult poetry that would be part of the British Literature Survey. This novel offers poetry in a very readable way, even for beginners to poetry, the fact that the poems are tied into a greater narrative would help students to make meaning of them individually through the whole work. I would first lead the class in analyzing one of the poems within the book and showing some of the elements of poetry like imagery, metaphor/simile, rhyme scheme, and alliteration. I would then have students break into groups and analyze poems of their choice from the book and talk about how the elements of poetry that they identify are affecting the work as a whole.
Once we have done these exercises with The Poet X, I think students would be better prepared to work on poems they may be more likely to struggle with. If we were studying Romantic poetry, often times language comes up that one may not know, but having that introductory knowledge to the elements of poetry should better prepare them to analyze this poetry. Knowing the elements within poetry is just as helpful today is it was a thousand years ago, it helps us find deeper meaning to the poetry and better appreciate what the poet is saying.

Natasha Cardin

3/29/2020 06:10:19 pm

Hi Shaun, I think using Poet X as an introductory method for teaching poetry is a wonderful idea. Given that typically 12th grade English is usually British Lit, these students will definitely be dealing with more difficult types of poetry. I also really think that using poetry analyzing strategies for this novel will help them build the skill when the poetry becomes more difficult. Great job this week!

Samantha Colon

3/29/2020 12:52:29 pm

When it comes to teaching poetry I’m not sure what to expect from my students. I know when I was in school I had a love/hate relationship with poetry because I did like writing it when it was something interesting to me but I hated reading poetry I did not connect with. I feel like this would definitely be the case with most students because a lot of students won't relate or feel interested in it, especially in highschool. However, I think Poet X is a great book to read due to it being a great example of representation and experiences that most the students in Brockton could relate to. The poems in poet X are both easy to understand and relate to as highschool students living in an urban area and face different challenges in their lives. Before I teach poet X I would have the class do a creative writing assignment where they will write a poem about their lives or that defines who they are. I figured this assignment can go really well or be very difficult for those students that aren't the best writers which is why I wanted to start with the assignment first before reading. Students will do a draft of their poem and the final copy will be due after we are done reading poet X. That way, students can use the book as a guide and see how their poem and writing has changed and improved from start to finish. I think it would be best to read the book in class rather than at home that way we can discuss any questions as a group. Students will be put into groups and will write down any thoughts they have or questions and hang it up on the board in between discussions. By the end of the reading I want students to pick a poem they read and compare or contrast the differences and techniques used from the poem they wrote vs the one they read.

Poetry and the student writer: Teaching Discussion 3.24.2020

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