Rough Draft Ideas for Indy Teach

The book that I am teaching for my Independent Teaching assignment is Thirteen Ways of Looking for a Poem: A Guide to Writing Poetry by Wendy Bishop. This book seems interesting to me in that it gives a lot of insight into poetry and how to be a great poet. Thirteen Ways of Looking for a Poem is grounded in the belief that the best way to learn to write poetry is by practicing, and that practicing the craft of writing poetry can improve one's writing in general. In the books thirteen chapters centered on the sonnet, the haiku, and other traditional forms, Wendy Bishop demonstrates through numerous, innovative exercises the many ways in which beginning poets can enrich their writing by studying and practicing poetic form. To me this book is a fresh new approach to writing poetry and being a writer. Poetry seems daunting to many students in school, but practicing and having fun is the best way to become good at it.

Essential Questions?

How can you become a great writer?
What kinds of poems are there?
How can you develop the skills needed to be a poet?

Activities

Bishop describes that practice helps beginning poets gain inspiration and voice. Students will practice with different forms of poetry and then post their poems on their blogs. Students could have a discussion on which form of poetry is the best and conveys the most meaning. Students brainstorm what makes a good poem and have a discussion from there.

This book seems to be a great tool for writers of poetry and I could see myself teaching this text as a teacher of English at the middle school or high school level.