Hi All, As Sally explained we are pushing on, here are my thoughts on chapter 2...
We are fervent- we concentrate intensively, we lose ourselves in the experience of thought, the world disappears, and we work hard to learn more. We choose to challenge ourselves. (To Understand, Ellen Oliver Keene) In this book, Ellen asks "What can we discuss with children that will enable them to immerse themselves in learning more enthusiastically, more fervently?" This thread of "fervor" runs through this chapter, Georgia asks "How do we ensure that poetry has a chance to sing to our students? How can we help our students form a relationship to poetry?" I don't think I ever was given a chance to form a friendship with poetry, as I posted in the last chapter I avoided it every chance I got. But... in this chapter Georgia says The traditional way of introducing poetry is to begin by interpreting and analyzing a poem- dissecting its meaning and structure-which is meant to give insights into the heart of the poem. Unfortunately, it never does. Instead, it only alienates many people from the world of poetry. How many of us "alienate" poetry because of our past experiences? How do you make it sing or help your students form relationships? Later in the chapter when she speaks of a Self-Portrait Anthology, I was reminded of an art classroom I was able to visit last year where this class of seniors where sharing their anthologies. The teacher had started the year making Dreamcatchers and was wrapping up the year through Storycatching. They were able to express their artistic voice by creating visual/written insights inspired by "story" from their lives. It was the most beautiful experience for us as observers and even more so for the seniors their last days of high school and that chapter of their lives. She had poetry come alive with life, color and fervor. I look forward to hearing your experiences! Lisa Ward Instructional Coach Davis and Jessup Elementaries [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Not all of us will do great things in life,but we can do the small things in life greatly. James Yatras _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
