Iowa Council of Teachers of English Fall Conference 2021

Unlock the power of teaching students to write poetry. For years I avoided teaching poetry for the usual reasons: I didn't think I was enough of a poet myself to guide students across such tricky terrain; I didn't know how to nudge students past emo dumps and bad rhymes; I wasn't sure poetry writing was an essential skill.

I am now a convert: poetry writing is central to my teaching. Join me for an interactive session to learn how I came to see poetry as my most powerful investment in students' command of language.

This session, prepared in conjunction with the Iowa Poetry Association, will give you the rationale and tools you need to teach poetry joyfully and competently--including many easily personalized lesson ideas.