Poetry Residency—Part 2

Today was the last day of my two-week residency at the Lyncrest Elementary School in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. This week was just as wonderful as last week. Students learned about similes, metaphors, imagery, personification, diction, and stanzas. They learned some revision strategies and some techniques for effective oral reading of poetry. They wrote autobiographical poems in metaphors, nature poems using personification, and riddle poems. As a follow-up activity, they will have a poetry slam to which parents and other students will be invited. Students are also working with the art teacher to make visual displays of their poetry.

A student's poetry folder. Every student had one with his or her own design.

The reception in this school was astonishing and heart-warming. I had interest from the ESL teacher, from aides and resource room teachers, from the office secretary, and from teachers whose classes I did not visit. The principal sat in two classes. The district superintendent visited a class. The local newspaper sent a reporter and a photographer. The students were very enthusiastic and wrote amazing poems. The teachers whose students I worked with were welcoming and warmly appreciative. Today they invited me to be their guest at lunch. The principal gave a lovely talk and then so did my wonderful contact teacher, Deborah Kempin, who beautifully made all the arrangements for the residency. She presented me with a magnificent bouquet. Lovely from start to finish.

Poetry lines the halls of the school. The above is in the front hallway. Walls outside of classrooms are filled with poems.

My beautiful bouquet

My bouquet on my fireplace at home