Inside a Poet's Mind

INSIDE A POET'S MIND

Grades 2 - 5
45 minutes

Come with me inside a poet's mind as I answer these
3 questions about poetry:

What is a poem?
Where do poets find inspiration?
How do you write a poem?

  In this interactive program, students help me analyze
     what makes a poem a poem. I share a few different
poetic forms. We find common ground with sources of
   inspiration.

I introduce my simple, 4-step method for writing a poem.
Then comes the best part:

     we use my method to write a poem as a group!

Before we are finished, I will also touch on the all-important
   art of revision.


     Student takeaways:

a greater understanding of and appreciation for poetry
a better understanding of the writing process in general
a sense of the importance of revision
experience with a writing framework they can use independently

To discover more poetry resources on my website, check out these pages: 10 Ways to Celebrate Poetry or Tips for Poetry Writing

"Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with our kids with your "Inside a Poet's Mind" program. I loved your ideas and thoughts about poetry as much as they did. I think it really helped inspire some. They were writing away after you spoke."
—Lori Shaw, 4th grade teacher, Cary Elementary in Cary, NC

"I really enjoyed having Mrs. Sklansky visit us. She taught me a lot about poetry and I was surprised at how well I did with it. I think she opened the world of poetry up to me more than I expected. The way she brainstorms poetry was a lot like how I brainstorm for writing narratives and non-fiction. It never occurred to me that poets plan in some of the same ways that I already do." —4th Grader, The John Cooper School in The Woodlands, TX