Poetry Has Sprung to Life in the Contemporary World...

Lorri Neilsen Glenn titled her article regarding poetry, "Poetry Has Sprung to Life in the Contemporary World. How Do I Choose What Poetry to Teach?" In the article, she notes, "[Poetry is] how we sing our lives." The author's view of poetry is far from being strictly academic, as she instructs, "Don't worry about curriculum outcomes when you begin to teach poetry." She goes on to say that you will "snap the wings of poetic joy" if you "begin by pulling out a list of literary terms, along with a collection of canonical poems with allusions that are obscure to contemporary audiences." However, the author doesn't stay away from the curriculum completely. In regards to curriculum, she writes, " It's always been my practice to start with engagement: it's a sign of respect for students' interests..." This approach to learning engages all students, even those who don't think they enjoy poetry and begin with a negative attitude towards it. Neilson Glenn writes refers to a quote by Emily Dickenson to further accentuate her argument that "We can't teach poetry. It is something we must experience."

Glenn makes the important point that its important for teachers to be learning along with their students, not simply dictating facts to them. This is fundamental to secondary ELA curriculum goals and outcomes and also to the profession of teaching. We, along with our students, must be willing to have our opinions challenged and constantly learning and developing as educators and individuals.

This article left me considering these questions: How can teachers remain creative in their classrooms while abiding by all curricular responsibilities? The author noted that she strayed from the indicators listed in the curriculum to reach a curriculum goal, but how can we know that is going to work if we are not following indicators? Do curricular requirements make it more difficult for teachers to make material engaging? I certainly don't have answers for these questions, but think its good to ask and think through them.