|
Get and keep your young poets excited about their new work!
Interested in coaching your budding poets? First, spend some time with your students' work well in advance of the slam so they can compete with a well-crafted piece. After all, even the most talented actress cannot win an Oscar with a poorly-written screenplay. This guide provides tips on how to lead a writers' workshop for beginning poets.
Give praise first; next give praise.
Chances are your students will be writing their very first poems. You don't want to say anything that will stop a student from writing a second. Pinpoint the strongest and most creative areas in the poem and students will be more inclined to repeat the things they did right.
Constructive criticism, little by little.
As students grow more accustomed to receiving feedback, provide more constructive criticism. Get a feel for how much criticism an individual student can handle, and if their skin is thick enough, point out (nicely) areas for improvement.
Keep your mouth shut (sometimes).
Remind students that the definition of "good" poetry, like all art, is subjective. It's easy to coach students towards writing the poems you personally like to read. Writing groups (rather than one-on-one sessions) are best to foster open discussions and let students voice their own opinions.
Don't finish with end rhyme.
Beginning writers often assume that exact rhymes are inherent to good poetry-particularly in the form of couplets. If your student loves to rhyme, remind him/her that rhyming is just one way of paying attention to the sound of a poem. Encourage students to experiment with alliteration, assonance, slant rhyme, internal rhyme, and anaphora.
The blue sky is nice, but what about your blue sock?
Students may want to use universal symbols to make grand, profound statements about life. But sometimes the most profound moments in poetry come from reflections on everyday objects. Tell students to find inspiration in the small details surrounding their own personal experiences, and their poems will be more vivid and original.
Every rose doesn't need to have thorns.
Original ideas are always more exciting than phrases readers have heard before. Still, many beginning poets use clichés to convey meaning. It's a good idea to spend one of the first meetings of a writing group talking about how to spot a cliché, and discussing why it's best to avoid them.
Reading good poetry is key to writing good poetry.
Since greeting cards and Shakespeare sonnets may have limited the definition of poetry for some students, be sure to spend time discussing works by contemporary poets. Try assigning students to find one poet they like (Web sites like Online Poetry Classroom are great) and have them bring in some poems. Discuss successes in the poets' craft in small groups.
Creative writing is not the easiest subject to teach.
Many argue that you can't really teach anyone how to write. While there is a certain amount of truth to this idea, you can certainly point students in the right direction with just a few guidelines. But most importantly, you should emphasize how important it is for writers to listen to their own unique and independent voice. Encourage innovative thinking, and students will not only write better poems, but they'll have fun sharing them with others!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Theresa Sotto serves as a Program Consultant to ARTSEDGE.
|
