Introduction
The teaching of poetry in many English classes entails reading a poem (often written by someone long dead), analyzing its figurative language, the poem’s possible meanings, and then moving on to the next one. This format, which I experienced within my education, does not inspire or promote student engagement. Students do the work, but it rarely leaves a positive impression. The poetry portion of the English curriculum becomes a source of dread each year and with it comes a desire to get it over with as soon as possible. While the ‘classics’ still hold value, they cannot remain the sole focus. Aiding students in seeing the poetic forms around them, that they engage with daily, would make learning more authentic and longer-lasting.
Situational factors
Even prior to the pandemic, regular attendance was an issue for many students. This greatly impacts student engagement as they often feel disconnected from the subject matter, especially if it is viewed as unapproachable or irrelevant. Disengagement is further exacerbated by the low literacy of students for whom attendance has been an issue for years or have external forces that affect their academic success. Fostering connections with students form the foundation of many of the classrooms that I teach in and encourages them to create their own connections to what they are learning. A change to a focus on more authentic First Nations content has begun to change how students engage with the English curriculum. Providing students with the opportunity to share poetry they choose gives them greater agency over their learning. This makes the content more appealing and approachable to many learners. Two potential conflicts that may arise are two (or more) students bringing in the same material and those students that do not bring in any material. Being conscious of the sense of vulnerability bringing in material may have on students needs to be acknowledged. A solution could be providing students with different options of material or presentation that can alleviate this issue. An opportunity for teamwork or debate can be the outcome of the same material being used by multiple students.
The poetry portion of the English Language Arts curriculum I am focusing on is Grade 8. I believe that this first year of high school sets the stage for the subsequent years. Class sizes are rarely more than 15 students, with some often choosing not to attend. Student backgrounds and abilities are varied, with some working above grade level while others struggle due to external or internal issues. English 8 is combined with Social Studies 8 and continues throughout the year. This allows for deep connections to be created with students and class material. Poetry is one of the last topics covered in the Grade 8 Humanities classroom and can last from one to two weeks.
Learning outcomes (as defined by the BC Core Competencies)
Student will be able to:
- respond to text in personal, creative and critical ways in a form of their choosing
- show how language can be used to construct their identities (cultural, social and personal)
- describe the features of oral language (figurative language, word choices, voice)
Throughout English 8 classes, students would have been taught the ways of responding to a text with details about figurative language and connections.
Feedback/assessment procedures
The poetry unit would be assessed at each step (introduction, project, conclusion) via a class created rubric. Students would be asked to assess themselves and share their conclusions with the teacher. Both assessments will make up the student’s grade.
Feedback for the poetry unit and its final project will be provided as necessary to ensure that students understand and are working towards the learning outcomes.
Learning activities
Throughout the course, students will engage with the video and graphic representations as ways to express themselves in creative ways. How to properly convey information in these forms will be practiced and evaluated. As a final project for the poetry unit, students will choose a piece of poetry (a poem or a song) and present it, via video or graphic presentation. They will be expected to speak to the elements of the text that have been taught throughout the course (connections, reflection, figurative language). Students will be asked to engage directly with their selection and speak honestly about their experience.
February 23, 2022 at 4:30 pm
Hi Kate-Nicola,
Very true about poetry and the English curriculum. Hailing from the same town in Ireland as W.B. Yeats, he’s one of the few who had any kind of lasting impact on me. Though for some inexplicable reason, the work of the reclusive Emily Dickinson somehow spoke to me in my last year of secondary school too! I love that you are making poetry-studies more current and relevant to learners in your design – great idea allowing them to share their chosen poems. Oh how I’d love to have studied the lesser-known poems of the great Tim Burton in school (I’m a real movie buff)! I also like how you will handle conflicts that may arise by offering choice of presentation materials, creating teamwork, etc. As well, your design promotes active-learning while being flexible and student centred (and another nice idea by having a class-created rubric).
For the integration section at the end, you could discuss how everything will come together with the alignment of outcomes/activities/assessment and the role feedback plays in how they how they support each other. This will ensure successful completion of a great overall design.
Good job!
Brian.