poetry joeys
In 2007, I was hired by the University of Arizona Poetry Center to teach a monthly poetry “event” for children aged 4-6. Since most of them can’t read or write, we do a lot of wiggling, singing, and reading aloud. It’s great fun. While I like to make up my own lessons, I also borrow ideas and poems from Gillian Jerome’s wonderful book Verse!, published by the Center.
I feel
sad and
mad
like a volcano
- Kieran
I feel
squishy like a cheek.
I feel
hard
like a bone
I feel
happy
like a puppy
I feel
feathery
like hair
- Paul
If I were the globe…
I would see the moon
I would see space
I would see rocketships
I would see plants, animals,
people, the ocean
I would see a bubble of air
I would see stars
I would see Mars
I would see the sun
I would see Saturn
I would see patterns
of stars and planets
I would see buildings
and lots of colors.
- Myles
poetry in schools
Also through the Poetry Center, I have worked as a poet-in-residence for several elementary and high schools in Tucson, visiting classrooms anywhere from one to 10 times to work with students. My favorite experiences have been longer residencies that result in an anthology of student poems, published at low-cost, made available to each student, and celebrated in a culminating event during which students read their work aloud for others.
Orange, orange, orange, orange!
It is not a color.
It is tasty juice
It is a sword
Sharp, shiny
It is a hamster energizing
A bomb blowing up
It is blue happiness
Orange
-Jonathan Murphy, 3rd grade
Keeling Elementary School, Tucson, AZ. December 2008
My tears have dolphins in them.
My tears have butterflies in them.
My tears have skates in them.
My tears have trees in them.
My tears have poems in them.
My tears have flowers in them.
My tears have books in them.
-Lindsey Poore, 1st grade
Agua Caliente Elementary School, Tucson, AZ. February 2009
tucson river of words
Since 2007, I have been a teaching artist with the Tucson River of Words project, a collaboration between Pima County Natural Resources and the Tucson Pima Arts Council. Environmental educators visit K-12 classrooms to teach students about water resources, our local watershed and aquifer. Then a visual artist and/or a creative writing teacher bring a water-related arts experience to reinforce some of the concepts. Residencies are anywhere from one hour to 2 weeks. I have students read poem, discuss and put to practice various poetic devices, and write poems, which they can then submit to the city-wide Tucson River of Words contest.