During my practicum, I taught a poetry unit during which time I realized that teaching poetry is hard because students resist it quite a bit. Thus, it has become a goal of mine, within the next few years, to figure out and learn how to better effectively teach a poetry unit.

So here’s a professional growth plan to aid me  in acheiving this goal.

  1. Collaborate with others
    1. Brainstorm with other teachers
      1. SA
      2. Other teachers in the English department
    2. Discuss with others how to instruct poetic analysis
    3. Read some literature on the matter.
  2. Explore what the students / age range of students are listening to and watching.
    1. explore popular music
    2. research what students are into-Talking to students
      1. What kind of movies they watch
      2. What kind of TV shows they watch
      3. What kind of music they are into
    3. Brainstorm how to integrate these interests into a poetry unit
  3. Explore various resources
    1. Explore different resources, lesson plan ideas etc
      1. Talk to other teachers
      2. Look online
      3. Discuss with colleagues.
    2. Attend Pro-D days
    3. Research and look for new poems
      1. Poems written by the marginalized
      2. Poems written by People of Colour
      3. Poems written by Women
      4. Poems that deviate from the English Cannon.
  4. Explore ways to connect poetry (canonical and not canonical) to the modern world
    1. Look for Non-fiction pieces to go with poems
      1. Journal articles
      2. Newspaper articles
    2. Look for ways to connect it to music
      1. Rap music
      2. Pop songs
      3. Musicals
    3. Look at slam poetry and rap battles
      1. Youtube.
  5. Explore various assessment forms
    1. Talk to other people
      1. Fellow new teachers
      2. Experienced teachers
      3. Look at new curriculum
    2. Attend Pro-D days
    3. Look Online.
  2. Design and create lesson plans and unit plans
    1.  Connect all of the above with the New Curriculum
    2. Plan out the learning objectives-be clear
    3. Figure out why the students are learning this
    4. Get help/ run this past others.
  3. Implement this when I get a contract.