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In the beginning was the poem, and the poem was with the student, and the poem was the student.<\/strong><\/em> As thrilling as that moment can be \u2013 the inception of the poem within its breathing vessel \u2013 the moments after can be daunting and tedious when the student sits before the blank page and must write. Or worse, when the student sits, a blank page is put before them, and they are told to write.<\/p>\n Poetry anxiety is woven into our schools. Poetry is often presented in the classroom through a poetry unit \u2013 or, at the least, an add-on to support whatever focus of time, period, or movement that is at the center of the actual unit. An unfortunate impact of this trend is that students often understand poetry as a niche-writing specialty \u2013 a form that exists outside of more pragmatic modes such as technical writing or the essay. This pattern leaves many of us to view the secrets of poetry as a mystery \u2013 some magic that the real poets keep bottled up in their basements. We can combat this pattern by offering the tools, strategies, and conventions of poetry in isolation \u2013 arming students with a playbook. Just as we teach the persuasive essay and expository essay in different lessons \u2013 each demanding their own unique organizational patterns, we can teach how to access the tools that fuel metaphor and simile in different lessons. Hyperbole<\/strong>. The shout out<\/strong>. Where I\u2019m from<\/strong>. Allusion<\/strong>. Line breaks<\/strong>. Epistolary forms<\/strong>. Persona<\/strong>. When you hear the word<\/strong>. Diction<\/strong>. Alliteration<\/strong>. The Battle<\/strong>. Odes<\/strong>. Pronouns<\/strong>. Syntax<\/strong>. In this workshop, we will discuss curriculum organizational models, the tools to build your own curriculum, ideas for scaffolding, and best practices in support of teaching poetic conventions in isolation to build student confidence while also ensuring focused nuanced writing (rather than defaulting to rhythmic monologue\/ diary entries).<\/p>\n <\/p>\nABOUT THE FACILITATOR<\/h3>\n