Janelle Thompson - Van Meter, Iowa 5th grade Teacher
When I think about the work we put into organizing the poetry summit I would not have guessed what the biggest impact for our students was going to be. Creating the poetry wasn't the biggest impact. Students loved writing poetry even though at the beginning they were reluctant. I've learned they are always reluctant to poetry at the beginning but they figure it out quick.What they really enjoyed is having someone other than their classroom and grade level peers to share with. Everyone wanted their voice heard and having the Padlet set up for each student to contribute to was great. They also had the opportunity to share on Edmodo so we were well covered on the sharing aspect of their poetry.
The two big impacts for students that were a by-product of the poetry was the process of becoming an MC for the event. We had so many students interested in becoming the MC from our school and we saw students who normally do not get the opportunity to shine really take off and do a fantastic job. It wasn't about being the best, or getting the votes, or even having the knack for it; it was about working hard and getting the reward of that hard work. I loved seeing students ask people to be a reference for them, I loved reading the reference letters, I loved seeing the students shine in their video they had to submit.These are not normal things that students do in class and it gave them an opportunity to get involved in something school related but yet so much bigger.
The other impact I really enjoyed seeing for our students was the different perspectives from around the country.The types of poems our students wrote were not like poems written by other age levels or other areas of the country. The students really liked hearing poems that were personal.They got the feeling for what it was like to be a teenager, to grow up in the south, to have a passion for something they've never experienced, and to connect with someone who feels the same way they do. The poems shared by students from the other schools really made our students think about what they have, how they were raised, and what the real world is going to be like when they aren't in school any more. Anytime we can give our kids a real world experience it has an impact. I can not wait to see what next year brings for our students.
The two big impacts for students that were a by-product of the poetry was the process of becoming an MC for the event. We had so many students interested in becoming the MC from our school and we saw students who normally do not get the opportunity to shine really take off and do a fantastic job. It wasn't about being the best, or getting the votes, or even having the knack for it; it was about working hard and getting the reward of that hard work. I loved seeing students ask people to be a reference for them, I loved reading the reference letters, I loved seeing the students shine in their video they had to submit.These are not normal things that students do in class and it gave them an opportunity to get involved in something school related but yet so much bigger.
The other impact I really enjoyed seeing for our students was the different perspectives from around the country.The types of poems our students wrote were not like poems written by other age levels or other areas of the country. The students really liked hearing poems that were personal.They got the feeling for what it was like to be a teenager, to grow up in the south, to have a passion for something they've never experienced, and to connect with someone who feels the same way they do. The poems shared by students from the other schools really made our students think about what they have, how they were raised, and what the real world is going to be like when they aren't in school any more. Anytime we can give our kids a real world experience it has an impact. I can not wait to see what next year brings for our students.
Students from Strayer Middle School
Sophie - South Orange Middle School Student
I enjoyed the poetry summit because it allowed me to share my poetry and hear other students.
