Experiences with
Poetry
Poetry provides space to grieve, celebrate, find small joys, and relate with others in a way that is creative and liberating for people of all ages. This is something I have found especially true as a graduate in the Class of 2020. As the world faces unprecedented change, graduates are propelled out of their high schools and universities, with no goodbyes or pom and circumstance, and into a world burdened by unemployment, uncertainty, and fear of the future. Although my final semester of college looks very different than I ever imagined it, I have found immense comfort through reading and teaching poetry over the last few weeks in the new Virtual Anderson Reading Clinic.
I love how the students radiate excitement and pride when they read the poems they have skillfully written. I love watching the students learn and identify aspects of poetry like alliteration and personification and then try these strategies in their own poems. What I love most about teaching in this virtual setting is that it has reminded me what is truly important: learning together.
by Morgan Harper Nichols
The first time I co-hosted a Zoom session in the virtual clinic, I didn't know what to expect. I was already nervous about teaching poetry, and now I was going to help teach it over Zoom to students I had never met! I quickly noticed how engaged the students were in the poetry. Their questions were reflective, insightful, and showed a deep interest in the poem. Students felt empowered to create their own poems based on what we read and discussed as a group.
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As evidenced by the Zoom sessions, poetry is an excellent tool for literacy instruction because it offers something for every reader and writer. Regardless of a student's reading level, poetry can be discussed, dissected, and enjoyed with anyone. As a teacher, I have found that many striving readers and writers enjoy reading and creating their own poetry because there are typically fewer words per page, making the text feel more accessible and less intimidating. There are so many incredible works of poetry to be read, and I'm so excited to incorporate poetry into my own classroom this fall!
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