When it comes to cultivating a classroom atmosphere that
celebrates reading and writing poetry, I return to a few how-to books again and
again. I encourage you to add these
resources to your own bookshelf.
Wishes Lies and Dreams, by Kenneth Koch. Originally
published in 1970, this book is an oldie but goodie. I was introduced to Wishes,
Lies, and Dreams in grad school, and I’ve been using Koch’s methods in my
classroom ever since. In the book, Koch chronicles
the year he spent exploring the wonder and magic of poetry with students in New
York public schools. In particular, Koch champions the use of collaborative
poems, or poems in which each student contributes a line. I’ve found
that writing collaborative poems is a great way to warm students up to poetry
writing. Koch provides clear explanations
and packs the book with student examples, making it easy to adapt his methods to
your purposes. 
Poems are Teachers, by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater.
Amy Ludwig Vanderwater is a master poet and teacher, and she brings a wealth of
knowledge and experience to Poems are Teachers. The premise of this book
is that reading and writing poetry can help students sharpening writing skills across
genres. To that end, Vanderwater organizes the book around specific craft techniques,
like finding ideas, choosing perspective, and determining structure. Each
chapter provides examples from both professional and student poets. One of my
favorite aspects of this book is the “Words from the Poet” blurbs. Here, each
featured poet shares insight into how he/she applies particular writing skills.
Poem Crazy, by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge. This book is a collection of musings and techniques
to release the power of poetry in your life and classroom. Reading this book
inspired me to think like a poet and see the world in a new way. It helped me
bring more passion and insight to my teaching of poetry. Most chapters end with
a specific strategy to tap into your creative spirit, which can easily be adapted
for classroom use.
Awakening the Heart, by Georgia Heard. As the title
suggests, in this book poet and teacher Georgia Heard explores how to help
student uncover “where poetry hides” in their own hearts and minds. Heard provides
specific, step-by-step directions for creating a poetry environment in the
classroom, including clever ideas for “poetry centers” and techniques for
reading poems in dynamic ways. I return to the chapter “Crafting Poetry: Toolboxes”
often when I need exercises to help students practice specific poetic techniques
such as simile, personification, or the power of line breaks.
Poetry Lessons to Meet the Common Core State Standards,
by Georgia Heard. What makes this book unique and powerful is its connection to
the standards. Heard claims that reading and writing poetry regularly will sharpen
students’ literacy skills. She proves this by outlining how specific reading
and writing standards can be supported through poetry. In each chapter, Heard provides mentor poems
and step-by-step lessons. The appendix includes easy-to-use graphic organizers
to go along with the lessons.
I hope these books inspire you with new ways to enrich your
classrooms with poetry!
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