Voices from the Middle - Volume 5, Issue 1, 1998

In her poem, Linda Becker recalls a young boy’s "getaway" to literature.

Describes how one eighth-grade teacher creates a safe, playful, literate environment for a four-week poetry unit which immerses students in the thoughtful, energetic, productive experience of poetry. Describes introducing poetry, setting up the unit, class activities, a wide range of requirements and assignments, and students’ enthusiastic responses. Appends a 29-item list of poetry for eighth graders.

Conklin expresses her feelings about leaving her student teaching assignment through poetry.

Describes how a teacher of English as-a-Second-Language began, at first tentatively, to use poetry to offer his recent Chinese immigrant students as a feasible outlet to express themselves freely in English. Describes how he started from scratch, using Chinese poems in translation. Discusses the rewards reaped in the classroom by students and teacher.

For the teacher portrayed in poet Lynne Hugo’s piece, the power of literacy to change lives is bleak at present, but hope remains for the future.

With this poem, Martin recalls her family’s ritual of Tuesday night library trips.

Describes how poetry and teaching poetry is a way to pay attention to the world, to feel connected to other people--a conduit to each student’s truest discoveries, offering solace and courage and wisdom and survival.

Last year’s issue on poetry received far more manuscripts than any other issue. In response, this issue continues on that theme – in which we find ourselves drawn to with increasing frequency. It is a part of life in classrooms and in life itself. The more we read it and write it, the more we examine its power, the more grateful we are for it.