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From: Karen Wendt <bewendt>
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 1998 20:49:25 -0500
One way that I have enjoyed sharing poetry with children in grades 3 to 5 is through Poetry Break. I heard about Poetry Break at a workshop I attended where I saw Caroline Feller Bauer; after which I used her books to get the thing going. I used Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening and some comments from Bauer to tell the teachers about Poetry Break. The principal included me as a special guest at a staff meeting but didn't tell the teachers "who" the guest would be. I entered the room at the beginning of the meeting when they were all there, chatting, but not formally meeting yet and I "did" a Poetry Break for them, as an example. I explained that I wanted to come into their classrooms at various times over the next few months, unexpected by the children, and read a poem to them, ie, Poetry Break. I made up a schedule of times I could devote to stopping by the school which included 10 minute increments. About three teachers signed up that week. After a few weeks, a few more ! teachers signed up for Poetry Break. After the first year, all of the 3rd to 5th grade teachers were participating. I did Poetry Break periodically over the next three years. The children called me Poetry Lady, even when they saw me out in the community. I have to admit I don't know much about poetry and was not teaching poetry. I was simply sharing some fun and favorite poems. Some were longer poems, and some were lighthearted. I sometimes used multimedia when sharing them such as taking in some real porcupine quills and reading a poem about a porcupine, or having the items in my pocket to go with a pocket poem. Some of the children would write me a poem that I would share (with permission) with the other classes. This April I did Poetry Break through the newspaper, at family storytime and also at preschool storytimes. My favorite way to do that was to recite Keep a poem in your pocket and a picture in your head..... as I walk around the room handing out little poems to each person there. Even the
"grownups" would get a poem and smile. One woman asked for another poem "for later."
Karen
Karen M. Wendt
Youth Services Coordinator
Monona Public Library
1000 Nichols Road, Monona, WI 53716 USA
http://www.scls.lib.wi.us/monona/youth.html
Received on Sun 26 Apr 1998 08:49:25 PM CDT
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 1998 20:49:25 -0500
One way that I have enjoyed sharing poetry with children in grades 3 to 5 is through Poetry Break. I heard about Poetry Break at a workshop I attended where I saw Caroline Feller Bauer; after which I used her books to get the thing going. I used Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening and some comments from Bauer to tell the teachers about Poetry Break. The principal included me as a special guest at a staff meeting but didn't tell the teachers "who" the guest would be. I entered the room at the beginning of the meeting when they were all there, chatting, but not formally meeting yet and I "did" a Poetry Break for them, as an example. I explained that I wanted to come into their classrooms at various times over the next few months, unexpected by the children, and read a poem to them, ie, Poetry Break. I made up a schedule of times I could devote to stopping by the school which included 10 minute increments. About three teachers signed up that week. After a few weeks, a few more ! teachers signed up for Poetry Break. After the first year, all of the 3rd to 5th grade teachers were participating. I did Poetry Break periodically over the next three years. The children called me Poetry Lady, even when they saw me out in the community. I have to admit I don't know much about poetry and was not teaching poetry. I was simply sharing some fun and favorite poems. Some were longer poems, and some were lighthearted. I sometimes used multimedia when sharing them such as taking in some real porcupine quills and reading a poem about a porcupine, or having the items in my pocket to go with a pocket poem. Some of the children would write me a poem that I would share (with permission) with the other classes. This April I did Poetry Break through the newspaper, at family storytime and also at preschool storytimes. My favorite way to do that was to recite Keep a poem in your pocket and a picture in your head..... as I walk around the room handing out little poems to each person there. Even the
"grownups" would get a poem and smile. One woman asked for another poem "for later."
Karen
Karen M. Wendt
Youth Services Coordinator
Monona Public Library
1000 Nichols Road, Monona, WI 53716 USA
http://www.scls.lib.wi.us/monona/youth.html
Received on Sun 26 Apr 1998 08:49:25 PM CDT
