
Poetry, Middle School, & Distance Learning
During this shelter-in-place, have you been noticing the bird calls more? Have you been wondering if they have been louder? We are in a unique time where the limiting of our movements has allowed nature to increase their movements and presence around us. Goats are taking over towns in Wales. Bears and coyotes are roaming areas of Yosemite that are usually teeming with visitors. Finally, birds are moving into urban areas more and making their songs known.
It is not that the birds are making their songs louders, in fact, the songs are quieter. The change is that they are more willing to move closer to us because there is less noise muffling their songs. The birds do not have to speak louder in order to be heard. During this shelter-in-place, I have been noticing a similar trend with my students.
Classrooms are sometimes loud and distracting places. A student might come in from another class asking for a kleenex box. The mower might be mowing the grass right behind the classroom. A student might blurt out a joke, making the whole class laugh. All of these situations have happened and all of these situations add to the noise just like the constant San Jose traffic did before the shelter-in-place.
Distance learning is not ideal. There are many advantages to teaching in-person, but just like the birds, I have found that by cutting out all the noise, the quieter students are more willing to share their insights.
Every spring I do a poetry unit with my sixth graders. This unit dips their toes into the world of poetry by having them experiment with a few types. It’s fun and challenging. Creativity often blossoms during it; however, the communal support and workshopping element that is often present in poetry struggles to thrive when I teach this unit in a classroom. There’s too much noise. Because of this distance learning approach, though, I had the best experience with teaching poetry that I have ever had. Students who do not normally share their work were volunteering by the end of it. Additionally, the whole class would support each other with encouraging words and constructive feedback. I did not want to end the unit. Almost every student felt comfortable enough to let their song be heard.
Teaching and learning online is difficult, but this time has made me grateful for the quiet. It has made me pay attention more to my surroundings and be more aware of the songs the quiet brings.
The video below includes poems which are works by a few of our sixth graders. Relax, click play and enjoy the poetic creativity from our Middle School students.