You’ve probably heard me talk about my first poetry slam. The project that became my go-to vehicle for teaching poetry every year that followed.
The book I was handed – 6 American Poets – was chock full of great poetry. Dickinson, Whitman, Hughes… but I knew that I, like every paper worth reading, would need a solid hook.
That’s how I ended up staying up til one in the morning the night before my poetry unit was set to kick off searching for poetry slam clips without swearwords.
Eventually I found some incredible clips and the philosophy that would guide much of my time in the classroom.
I thought of the philosophy then as “using showcase projects.”
Now I think of it as finding the glue that would keep students engaged with my material.
So how can you find your own glue? Let’s talk.
I could give you a million examples, but when it comes down to it, the glue is what will make students care about what you’re doing.
It usually has a real-world connection, like an authentic audience or a chance to make a real impact on an issue students care about.
Teaching argument? Maybe the glue is a TedX talk your students will soon be giving, arguing for SOMETHING to the school community. If that’s not a reason to care, what is?!
Teaching theater? Maybe the glue is a performance you’ll be doing for local 5th graders.
Teaching transcendentalism? Maybe the glue is a transcendental mural your students will be painting on that boring white wall outside the library.
Teaching dystopia? Maybe the glue is a debate about whether or not dystopia is an effective way to influence social change, with parents and community members invited as guests.
Teaching the personal essay? Maybe the glue is a live radio show your students will host in the format of NPR’s “This I Believe” essays.
Now, I realize you don’t have time to create and host a giant event every time your students dive into a unit. Sometimes you just need to take three days to teach a key standard that builds towards something else more important.
And that’s OK. ESPECIALLY when you can frame it as a build-up to what’s coming or make it part of a larger arc that leads to that big moment.
I believe my students ended up being waaay more interested in studying the 6 American Poets in our anthology because they were in the middle of writing their own slam pieces. Suddenly canonical poets’ choices and themes took on a whole new level of importance as an inspiration for students’ own work.
So how do you pick out the glue as you approach a unit? You’ll know best, but if you’re feeling stuck, think about how you can connect what you’re teaching to your students’ interests, to contemporary writers or platforms, or to an opportunity for your students to share their ideas with an authentic audience. There’s a glittery rainbow of glue out there waiting, you just have to start looking for it.
