What can I say? The next generation of poets is going to trump this generation. Yesterday I had the privilege of teaching spoken word to three 8th grade classes at Tuffree Middle School in Placentia, CA. Three periods, and over 90 kids all together, the experience taught me more than I could have imagined. The students there had far beyond the amount of brilliance I had anticipated, and wrote captivating poems about conventionally practical things like bracelets, pencils, and tomatoes, as well as heartfelt poems about parents, important rooms, and friendships. I loved showing them videos of some of my personal favorite poets Sarah Kay and Daniel Beaty, and had tons of fun exploring creative writing techniques with them through unconventional writing activities. The students seemed to love it, and a few of them are tremendously naturally gifted writers whom I wouldn’t be shocked to see on the mic in the near future. Teaching poetry never ceases to brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. I remember the new perspective of life I found when I was introduced to poetry. After yesterday’s workshop, I hope a handful of these students also feel a little more alive.
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