Everyone has a story and you can catch up on more slices for the SOLSC at
Two Writing Teachers.
I have an after-school poetry group, Poetry Rocks. It includes first through fifth graders; all girls except one boy. I love these kids!
Today was early release and I took advantage of getting a rehearsal in as we are performing next Thursday at Barnes and Noble for our book fair.
The students practiced with the mic and gave feed back to each other. Students can solo or recite in a small group or both. Wow. Those kids had the best feedback and I had to write them down:
- I liked that you reminded your partner to look at the audience.
- You and your partner spoke at the same pace and same volume.
- You said it with fluency.
- You have that memorized well.
- You spoke the way the words mean it.
- I could understand all your words.
A couple students wrote poems to recite and this was feedback about the writing:
- Your poem sounds like a real poet wrote it not just a kid.
- It’s really great like a grown-up wrote it.
I was so impressed because we have talked a little about presentation and tips based on the website Poetry Out Loud. These students are taking it to heart.
Can’t wait until next Thursday for them to perform.
Jone Rush MacCulloch 
Jone, Jone, Jone, my poetry guru. I love you, thank you!
(so happy about the kids — PRECIOUS!! Amazing feedback, just what a young poet needs!)
Pingback: SOL16 Day 19 of 31: An AHA in Teaching | Jone Rush MacCulloch
Poetry Rocks for sure!!! Especially with you at the helm, Jone. So impressed with how you are taking this to a new level with elementary kids!!! I am now working on my granddaughter, a class of one!! LOL. However, she is now 7 weeks, visiting here for the weekend AND cooing. She responds to the poems with her little sweet sounds. So interesting to see how eager she is for poems, books and reading already. But totally missing my own poetry reciters!! I have been doing poems when I sub in school and visiting classes so a little, but no show this year, sadly. I hope you can post some videos of your final performance or snippets of it!! Would love to see Poetry Rocks in action. AND it is an afterschool group!!!!
I am so happy to hear about your poetry group! Poetry lives on! Good work.