Teach What You Love?

Of course, I created a Poetry Recitation Unit within the Speech and Drama curriculum. Why wouldn't a poet include what she loves most of all? I spent months researching poems for my children to recite. Clips of "famous" poets reading because one thing I want my students to learn is that there is more than one way to read poems. Not just "Ms. Beck's Way". Many different styles, breath, perspectives to watch, model and learn. And certainly more accomplished, better published and better writers than just their old teacher.

So, imagine my consternation to learn that my students had never even heard of Maya Angelou. What in the what what? It just never occurred to me. Maya Angelou has been a staple of my classroom instruction since the dawn of time. Her picture hangs over my desk and within the collage of images I created on my walls. Never heard of Maya Angelou? How can that be?

Now, I do have one student whose mother is absolutely thrilled her daughter is reading "Phenomenal Woman". That was quite heartening. But, the other young women just looked at me with a blank stare. Of course, I assigned them the task of researching this poet with their parent for today. I don't have computers in my classroom or I would have directed them immediately to research. But, that's a topic for another essay.

The point is... sometimes it's hard to teach what you absolutely love because when the work is not respected as you hoped, it can be rather demoralizing. However, how grateful I am to introduce my students to Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikky Finney, Juan Felipe Herrera, Richard Blanco, Matthew Zapruder, John Ashbery, Sandra Cisneros, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Frank X Walker and Bianca Spriggs. Local poets mixed in with nationally renowned poets. Everything in between.

The sixth graders are doing their own exploration of Shel Silverstein. I decided that because I always teach kids to NOT rhyme in poetry because they'll sound like Dr. Seusss, they should hear what good rhyming poetry can sound like. And, because the content is perfect for these young, young kids. I always forget how young they are. Have learned a lot from this first quarter class.

I just pray that planting these seeds will take root as they grow. Exposing them to the world's most beautiful poetry cannot be a bad thing. It's just taking a bit of a toll on this poet's soul. But, once they recite their poems... I just know it will be all worth it.