I want the students to read and hear as many poems as possible so they can find their own style of poetry. My unit will encourage the teacher to read as many different poems written by as many different poets as possible The connection to the poetry and the relevance of the poetry grows as the familiarity and comfort levels of the students grow. By sharing a wide variety of poetry, students can become more familiar with and more comfortable with poetry. The poems must also make sense to the students and be relevant to them. I plan to model a part of my unit on how they inspire the "poet within" in their welcoming classroom. The welcoming classroom is very much the model of both Georgia Heard and Kenneth Koch. In order for this to occur, the classroom must be welcoming, allowing the student to experience many types of poetry and allowing the student to write many kinds of poems. They just aren't aware they are and can be poets! Their poetic side is waiting to be discovered and inspired. I think there is a "poet" inside all of my students. So along with the learning the state requires, the students learn about themselves. Through poetry, I believe the student can begin to understand their changes as well as their emotions, thus clarifying some of their confusion. It is an emotional time for the students, and they are very often confused. Middle school is an ever changing and challenging time for the students. The safety of poetry is what is so welcoming for the middle school student. Poems allow students a freedom to express themselves in a non- threatening manner. Very often through poems, emotionally developing adolescents can discover much about themselves. The emotional nature of the Middle School student blends well with the emotional nature of poetry. It is the cooperative effort on the part of the teacher and student that will best enhance the success of this unit. In my poetry unit, the teacher serves as a role model and guide as well as instructor. My poetry unit will be student centered, allowing the students to learn about the medium of poetry while learning about themselves. Studying poetry in the middle school will allow the student to develop an appreciation and understanding of poetry, in hopes that they will still want to read poetry beyond their school years. In writing this unit, I would like to share a poetry plan that not only can include all Language Arts objectives but also promote the concept of lifelong learner which is one of the cornerstones of the Middle School concept. My lessons are designed for seventy to eighty minute classes and the entire unit can be spread out over three to four weeks. My unit is designed for my 7th grade and can be adapted for any academic level and any middle school grade level. These are our ABC's!īecause I teach in a diverse school, I have a diverse classroom with students from varying backgrounds. At my school, we are preparing our students to be lifelong learners who achieve academically, behave appropriately and contribute positively. I teach 7th grade students Language Arts in a very large, very diverse middle school in Charlotte, NC. Making the Relevant Connection: The Middle School Student and Poetry An Understanding and Appreciation of Poetry to Inspire the Poet Within by Maureen Ann Lynch Introduction/ Overview
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