Estimated reading time: Two minutes. Contains 339 words.
Target Audiences: K-12 Classroom Teachers, Literacy and Instructional Coaches
A Backstory
I have been a fan of poetry celebrations since I began teaching. Some years have been more celebratory than others, but I always try to find a way to give poetry its deserved spotlight.
A few celebrations I’ve done over the years that I love are Collaborative Poetry and Chalkabration. I’ve written about both here on Two Writing Teachers and have linked some inspiration below. I’m sharing the what and how for three celebrations to hopefully inspire you to help April go out with a poetry-filled bang!
The Details
1. Chalkabration (Sidewalk Poetry Celebration)
What: Students write favorite lines of poetry, original poems, or collaborative poems with chalk on sidewalks or school grounds.
How:
Provide colorful chalk
Assign sections of the sidewalk to individuals, pairs, or small groups.
Allow students to decorate with drawings alongside their poems.
2. Poetry Wall (Interactive Poster Collaboration)
What: A giant poster or bulletin board where students add lines to a growing poem or create many mini-poems together.
How:
Start with a prompt or opening line on a big poster.
Students add lines when they pass by during the day.
Different colored markers can show different voices.
Inspiration: Facebook Collaborative Poetry
3. Poetry Café (Live Reading + Celebration Event)
What: Create a “café” atmosphere where students read their own poems or their favorite poems aloud.
How:
Arrange the room with cozy lighting, tables, and chairs.
Students can sign up to read aloud.
Offer light snacks (even imaginary “menu” items if real food isn’t allowed).
Set a mic or a designated “stage” area.
One Final Thing
Even though April is the national month for poetry recognition, you can celebrate anytime. If this week is busy, consider saving your poetry celebration for next week or the middle of May. It’s a busy time in the world of education. Our students need some celebrations as much as we do. Have fun playing with words.
Discover more from TWO WRITING TEACHERS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I loved looking at photos from your Chalkabration days when you taught elementary school. Do you do this with your middle schoolers too?
LikeLike
Love this Betsy. I’m headed to grandsons’ K and 2nd grade classrooms with my apron with many pockets. I don’t care that I missed Poem in Your Pocket Day! Every day’s a good day to have a poem in your pocket.
I remember one year when we covered my 6th grade classroom floor with quilts for a poetry picnic. Snacks could be anything that started with a “P” – pixie straws, popcorn, and pumpkin chocolate chip bread for starters. They loved it and so did I! We sat and read poetry on the quilts for the entire hour.
LikeLike
We also played Poetry Tag and posted them on the bulletin board. Once you were tagged, you showed up with a poem that connected to the previous poem in some way – author, theme, type of poem, memory triggered.
LikeLike