5 tips for Secondary English teachers to engage students with reading, analysing and writing poetry
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English is a core
subject across secondary schools in the UK, and poetry forms a key part of the
curriculum, yet teaching it isn’t always easy.
While teaching
poetry can be challenging as some secondary students don’t enjoy it, it can
also be a great opportunity to showcase analytical and creative thinking.
Many English
teachers will want to keep their lessons fun and engaging, while also
delivering the best outcomes for their students – fortunately there are a
variety of tools, resources, and other options at their disposal to help them
achieve this.
Here we have some top
tips for English teachers to help engage students with poetry.
1. The power of annotation
Pupils are far more likely to engage with poetry if they
understand it, or can break it down into more manageable chunks.
This is where annotation comes into its own – pupils should
be encouraged to note down anything they notice as they read through it, as the
notes can then be used as a reference point.
From spotting patterns and repetition to other specific
elements, grasping these basics then enables pupils to delve into deeper
meanings of the poem.
To make things easier, pupils may wish to use multiple
colours to pick out key themes or ideas, or have a specific notebook with
different pages for writing key lines and ideas.
2. Make it personal
Where possible, relate lines in poetry to real life actions
and experiences, as this can help pupils to see it on their terms.
Such an approach can act to trigger their emotions or
memories, so pupils could be encouraged to create a poem based on elements of
their own lives.
Not only does this inspire creative thinking, but it also
helps to embed some of the key learning processes which underpin poetry.
3. Bring the poem to life
Hearing poetry aloud can often have a different impact than
when reading it, so English teachers should ask pupils to read it as it is
intended to be heard.
From an analytical point of view, this can help to pick out
different elements such as the rhyming patterns, as well as many of the finer
details which may not be immediately obvious.
Focusing on different parts of a poem can also help with
engagement, as it might spark different interests among various pupils, as
specific parts may appeal to them.
4. Showcase the range of poetry
With many different forms of poetry and a wide range of
poets to study, all with their own unique styles, showcasing the variety can be
a key means of engaging pupils.
Encourage pupils to express themselves using different
styles of poetry, or mix up what it used to stimulate their thinking, from
videos and pictures to the learning space itself.
Writing about nature, for example, could be done away from
the classroom, as pupils could then be inspired by what is around them.
5. Make pupils think!
In order to develop understanding and to boost engagement,
pupils should actively be encouraged to question everything they read.
One way of doing this is by talking about the main themes
before looking at a poem, and then asking pupils to pick out parts which specifically
relate to those themes.
Get them to question why certain words might be used or if
alternatives could be better – this can then form the basis of classroom
discussion and means that every pupil get involved in sharing their thoughts
and ideas.
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