Power of a Poem, a Poet and a Library

This past week, my library was lucky enough to have a Poet in Residence. English classes were scheduled thoughout the week to work with the poet in interactive workshops, held in the WHS Library.  Four after school sessions were held for any interested students to attend.  Throughout the week, students heard poems from teens who have been a part of the Louder than A Bomb Poetry Festival; they analyzed the meaning; they did free writing and created their own poetry.
Students were engaged, amazed and connected.
Here area few of the positive outcomes:
 **Students willingly performed their original poetry during classes and after school.
**One student performed from our new "stage" area in the library allowing her classmates to see another side of her personality.
**Several students stopped Alex, the poet, in the hallway to show him their latest poems.
**A diverse group of teens came  to each of the after school sessions.

I was struck by the students  willingness to listen, respond respectfully and give positive feedback to their peers; peers that they most likely had not interacted with previous to these sessions.
The experience left me with the knowing that one of the most important aspects of a library is the idea that it is a unique safe space for students.  A space that allows for creative thinking, sharing and respect for new ideas. A place that is a community builder of personal connections.
 
 Last school year, I collaborated with another teacher, Kathy Stoker, to write a grant through the Westborough Education Foundation to bring the art of performance poetry to our high school.
Details of the Grant through WEF:

The goal of  the project is to bring the creative art of performance poetry to WHS. This is a yearlong initiative that will be accomplished through bringing the transformative power of the spoken word to students in grades 9-12 through innovative workshops and interdisciplinary activities supported by MassLEAP (Literary Education & Performance) a collaborative with MassPoetry.  Students will participate in a series of interactive and performance based seminars and workshops throughout the school year that will culminate in a statewide Teen Poetry Festival at M.I.T.  Performance poetry is a unique venue that provides a way in which students can communicate and feel connected with their peers, local community and greater Boston area. The project will be a vehicle to empower high school students to use their voice through the genre of performance poetry. Performance poetry is an art specifically geared toward a visual audience. The term became popular in the 1980s to describe poetry composed for performance versus print. There is a continued need for teens to explore areas of creativity in which their voices are validated and celebrated.