Mr. M. De Jesús: Teacher-in-Training : The Poet in You: A mini-workshop about poetry writing

As part of establishing a sense of community between the teaching community, the Practice Teaching course requires students to participate in activities related to teaching. On Friday, January 30, 2015, I gave a workshop to 7th graders at the Juan Ponce De León Middle School in Humacao, Puerto Rico. The workshop focused on poetry writing. I was cordially invited by fellow Practice Teachers and colleagues Ms. Kimberly Thomas and Mr. Abner Pérez with approval of our Practice Supervisor Dr. Nilsa Lugo Colón and authorization ofrom our Practice Teachers Mrs. Sara Troche (Cooperating Teacher at the aforementioned school) and Mrs. Sonia N. Aponte (My Cooperating Teacher). As resource for the presentation, I used a document titled Poetry Writing Activities - A Standards Approach by Prof. Hilda Clemente Sosa and Prof. Marina Ramos Rosado and it was handed to me by Prof. Carmen M. Torres Rivera, professor at the English Department of UPRH.

I gave the workshop to three 7th grade groups who have an incredible mastery of the English language and are knowleadge on the art of poetry writing. The workshop focused on three contents: review of vocabulary, activities on poetry writing and share alouds. The review was skipped quickly because the students impressed me with all they knew about the topic. Afterwards, we went right into writing time with activities in which they followed a scheme and wrote their poems. There were: personification poem, 5 W's poem, simile/metaphor poem, stair poem and using the five senses. The workshop went smoothly and the students excelled with beautiful works of poetry. I must say: I was really amazed by the potential these students harbor. The Juan Ponce De León Middle School in itself has an environment of community learning and the students are eager to learn. Ms. Thomas and Mr. Pérez are outstanding Practice Teachers who have made a connection with their Practice Groups and I have no doubt they will be excelltn English teachers. As for my experience, it was refreshing and welcoming because this is what I aim for: establishing community between English teachers in which they interchange and participate in activities for the improvement of teaching English in the Puerto Rican context.
Here are some pictures of the workshop The Poet In You. I invite you to visit the blogs of my fellow colleagues Ms. Kimberly Thomas and Mr. Abner Pérez to get an insight of their experiences as Practice Teachers.
Disclaimer: To comply with privacy regulations, the students' faces have been covered.