Poetry with panache

Deirdre Newman

There’s a poetry revolution brewing in Joe Norris’ fifth-grade

classroom at Victoria Elementary School in Costa Mesa.

Norris introduced his students to his penchant for poetry during the

first week of school and their reaction was overwhelmingly positive.

“He made it really fun for us,” said Courtney Ulrich, 10.

Norris instructed his students to write “I Am” poems on Friday as part

of a language arts lesson. The poems are comprised of several statements

starting with “I” that encourage the students to express themselves

creatively.

The purpose of the lesson was twofold -- to enable Norris to learn

more about his new students and to inspire them to learn about themselves

through the writing process.

“I like to challenge the kids,” Norris said. “My goal for them is they

step up and meet that challenge. But I also provide a safety net so they

don’t feel overwhelmed.”

Norris started the lesson by reading an “I Am” poem he had written

about himself.

“I am a teacher who thinks kids are great and works hard for them,” it

began.

Then he explained how easily the poem could be written because the

students only had to fill in the blanks after each “I” statement. He

encouraged them to let their imaginations run wild for the parts of the

poem that dealt with senses and emotions.

When it was time to practice a sample poem, many of the students

raised their hands to help fill in the blanks.

“I wonder about the future,” said Stephanie Rainbolt, 10.

“I wonder if I’ll make a lot of money,” said Scott Sherman, 10.

Then it was time for the students to summon the poetry muse themselves

and write their own “I Am” poems. Many of the students agreed that

writing the poems was easier and more fun than poetry had been in the

past.

“It’s a fun lesson because we get to write and imagine whatever we

want to,” Scott said.

Many students also said they had learned more about themselves.

“I learned I’m a hard-working student,” said Christina Bodnar, 10.

Norris said he was pleased with the success of the lesson, especially

because this was the first time he had taught it. He was especially

heartened when Stephanie approached him after class and revealed how much

she enjoyed writing poetry.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Norris reached into a cabinet and gave

her a notebook to use as a poetry journal.

“That’s a teachable moment that I dream about,” he said.

* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot education

writer Deirdre Newman visits a campus within the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District and writes about her experience.