Visiting the middle school
This afternoon, I spent an hour and fifteen minutes discussing poetry with about 100 seventh graders. In fact, they were the same group of seventh graders I sat with when David Lubar visited the school last month, so I knew them to be, in general, a well-behaved group of students. I knew them as well to be a group of talented young writers. What I didn't know was whether their interest would extend to poetry, particularly on a Friday afternoon. And most especially on a Friday afternoon just after returning from a field trip involving eating and salsa dancing.
I am assured by M that I did a good job, that her friends were impressed and thought I was "cool," and that I wasn't too embarrassing (although she nearly hurt herself laughing during my first poem - a rather spirited recitation of "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll, which forced me to threaten her with the possibility of salsa dancing in front of the group. (I had my iPod, a docking station, and several salsa songs at the ready to make the threat credible, and any time they got overly noisy during their writing time, I'd let a bit of music play just to keep them in check.) She was also mildly horrified by my decision to read The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey as part of my discussion of what topics one could write poetry about (I termed it "horrible ways to die"), and as an example of rhymed couplets.
What I expected based on my observation of David's presentation and on my knowledge of seventh graders:
1. About 25% of the kids to be fidgety and/or tuned out.
2. About 25% of the kids not to bother writing during the assigned exercises.
3. Far more girls than boys volunteering to read their exercises aloud.
What I found during my presentation:
1. The vast majority of the kids paid attention. The boys as well as or better than the girls.
2. Most of the kids actually engaged in the writing exercises I set for them.
3. A large number of kids volunteered to read their sample copy. Again, the boys as well as the girls. In fact, in many cases I had more boys volunteering than girls.
What I conclude:
Similar to my conclusions following school visits in the elementary schools, I find that kids pay attention to poetry very well. And that some of the, um, itchy/twitchy kids (in elementary, those I know for a fact to have ADD/ADHD, in middle school, those that I saw having problems focusing when David Lubar visited) are practically riveted by poetry. I suspect that it's the result of the rhythm of the language (and, where it exists, they rhyme as well) combined with the compressed, evocative language and imagery of poetry that engages them so fully.
I would encourage/exhort anyone looking for a doctoral thesis in education or some other related field to look into this as a possible topic.
What I read today after a rather dramatic recitation (from memory) of "Jabberwocky":
"Some Rules" by Wendy Cope (a villanelle, from the journal,Poetry)
"The Student" by Billy Collins (from The Trouble With Poetry, although it's in an earlier collection as well)
"If Not for the Cat" by Jack Prelutsky (from the book of the same name)
"Breath" by Janet S. Wong (from Twist: Yoga Poems)
The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey
"Summiting" by Bobbi Katz (from Trailblazers: Poems of Exploration)
Three haiku from Baseball Haiku, edited by Cor van den Heuvel et al.
"Leading the Charge" by Kelly Fineman
Part of a poem from Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Charles R. Smith, Jr. (the fight between Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston)
"The Phantom of the Opera Can't Get It's A Small World Out of His Head" and "The Phantom . . . Can't Get Pop Goes the Weasel Out of His Head" by Adam Rex (from Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich)
I am nearly certain there were more poems in there, but alas, I cannot remember them off the top of my head, and I am too lazy to go find my outline and add them all here. In addition to my reading the poems, we talked about some of them at length, and I assigned three separate writing exercises. I had two more sections of study prepared, just in case, but because there were so many young poets eager to share their work, I was happy to hear what they all had to say. I wish I could share some of it with you here - a few pieces were brilliant, and most of them were better than passable.
At the end of my presentation, one student came up to inquire about the baseball haiku book. The librarian ordered a raft of new books for her library. The English teacher who invited me asked me if it would be all right for her to call me and have me back next year, and handed me a gift. M's friends told me I did a good job. M was pleased to be associated with me. And I found myself hopeful for our future generations. It was, indeed, a day well spent.
So, would I do it again? Absolutely.
I am assured by M that I did a good job, that her friends were impressed and thought I was "cool," and that I wasn't too embarrassing (although she nearly hurt herself laughing during my first poem - a rather spirited recitation of "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll, which forced me to threaten her with the possibility of salsa dancing in front of the group. (I had my iPod, a docking station, and several salsa songs at the ready to make the threat credible, and any time they got overly noisy during their writing time, I'd let a bit of music play just to keep them in check.) She was also mildly horrified by my decision to read The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey as part of my discussion of what topics one could write poetry about (I termed it "horrible ways to die"), and as an example of rhymed couplets.
What I expected based on my observation of David's presentation and on my knowledge of seventh graders:
1. About 25% of the kids to be fidgety and/or tuned out.
2. About 25% of the kids not to bother writing during the assigned exercises.
3. Far more girls than boys volunteering to read their exercises aloud.
What I found during my presentation:
1. The vast majority of the kids paid attention. The boys as well as or better than the girls.
2. Most of the kids actually engaged in the writing exercises I set for them.
3. A large number of kids volunteered to read their sample copy. Again, the boys as well as the girls. In fact, in many cases I had more boys volunteering than girls.
What I conclude:
Similar to my conclusions following school visits in the elementary schools, I find that kids pay attention to poetry very well. And that some of the, um, itchy/twitchy kids (in elementary, those I know for a fact to have ADD/ADHD, in middle school, those that I saw having problems focusing when David Lubar visited) are practically riveted by poetry. I suspect that it's the result of the rhythm of the language (and, where it exists, they rhyme as well) combined with the compressed, evocative language and imagery of poetry that engages them so fully.
I would encourage/exhort anyone looking for a doctoral thesis in education or some other related field to look into this as a possible topic.
What I read today after a rather dramatic recitation (from memory) of "Jabberwocky":
"Some Rules" by Wendy Cope (a villanelle, from the journal,Poetry)
"The Student" by Billy Collins (from The Trouble With Poetry, although it's in an earlier collection as well)
"If Not for the Cat" by Jack Prelutsky (from the book of the same name)
"Breath" by Janet S. Wong (from Twist: Yoga Poems)
The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey
"Summiting" by Bobbi Katz (from Trailblazers: Poems of Exploration)
Three haiku from Baseball Haiku, edited by Cor van den Heuvel et al.
"Leading the Charge" by Kelly Fineman
Part of a poem from Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Charles R. Smith, Jr. (the fight between Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston)
"The Phantom of the Opera Can't Get It's A Small World Out of His Head" and "The Phantom . . . Can't Get Pop Goes the Weasel Out of His Head" by Adam Rex (from Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich)
I am nearly certain there were more poems in there, but alas, I cannot remember them off the top of my head, and I am too lazy to go find my outline and add them all here. In addition to my reading the poems, we talked about some of them at length, and I assigned three separate writing exercises. I had two more sections of study prepared, just in case, but because there were so many young poets eager to share their work, I was happy to hear what they all had to say. I wish I could share some of it with you here - a few pieces were brilliant, and most of them were better than passable.
At the end of my presentation, one student came up to inquire about the baseball haiku book. The librarian ordered a raft of new books for her library. The English teacher who invited me asked me if it would be all right for her to call me and have me back next year, and handed me a gift. M's friends told me I did a good job. M was pleased to be associated with me. And I found myself hopeful for our future generations. It was, indeed, a day well spent.
So, would I do it again? Absolutely.