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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Poetry Out Loud & Positive School Climate

     

October 26, 2016

"I feel like I can really make people FEEL the poem. Not from an academic or structural way but from the heart.”

“DO IT! It will be a valuable experience. In addition to gaining performance and memorization skills, you will have three poems close to your heart that you can draw upon at different points in your life. It's a wonderful introduction to poetry that I think everyone ought to try. It's not just for theater or English based students - math and tech students will enjoy it as well.”

“I was very new to this program, as a freshman, but my English teacher was very encouraging to myself and my fellow 
classmates, so I thought I's give it a try. I was surprised and honored to be selected as the champion of my school competition, because I was up against many other students, almost all of whom were my seniors. Winning was such a huge deal to me because it was so unexpected. I felt that if I could have beat those odds, I could very well beat any others. I worked hard at memorizing my poems, and really trying to make them personal and meaningful. I didn't end up advancing from my semifinal competition, but the experience was definitely worthwhile. It was great to be able to meet other people my age who shared similar interests with me and I would recommend participating in this program just for the sheer exposure it brought me.”

- Responses to the Student Evaluation NH Poetry Out Loud, 2015- 2016

Don’t forget! Teacher orientations begin next week
We will be hosting 2 teacher orientations for you to choose from. Attendance is STRONGLY encouraged for all schools and programs, even if you have already participated in previous years. A certificate for 2 CEUs will be given at the end of the orientation. All teachers in your school who will be participating are encouraged to attend. Register for the orientation here.  If you are unable to make the orientation, please send me an email so we can set up a time to discuss the program over the phone.

·         NH Institute of Art, Manchester
Thursday, November 3, 4-6 PM
·         Museum of the White Mountains, Plymouth
Monday, November 7, 4-6 PM

Tips on Using POL to Contribute to a Positive School Climate (PDF)
  • ·         Celebrate Diverse TalentsPoetry Out Loud offers your school another opportunity for an annual competitive and supportive showcase of skills in addition to athletics. Classroom and school-wide champions can share their recitations at school assemblies and events.
  • Involve as Many Classes as PossibleHaving multiple classrooms and grade levels participate and compete generates excitement among students. It also gives an opportunity for teachers to collaborate and share approaches to teaching.
  • Encourage and Support ELL Classes to ParticipatePoetry is an excellent tool for teaching in-depth contextual understanding of English vocabulary and practice of public speaking skills. When ELL students participate in POL it enriches the entire school culture by providing meaningful curricular-based integration and opportunity for the success of all students.
  •   Invite a Local Poet or Teaching ArtistThere are many teaching tools and resources available though the POL website but having a local poet share their passion with students can elevate students’ own excitement and create real world connections. Invite a poet to do a reading, lead an in-class exercise, or open with a reading at your school competition. Ask a theater educator in your school to lead exercises on public speaking.
  • Get Fired Up for Your School CompetitionCelebrate your students’ achievements, hard work, and courage by making your school competition as exciting as a final athletic event. Possibilities include: reserve the auditorium, ask theater educators to help with lighting, alert the local press, make a program with student bios, create opportunities for school finalists to recite within the community, invite the public, invite high-profile community members as judges, announce the competition on the daily school PA broadcast, put the competition on the outdoor school marquee, invite band members to perform before and after the event, and more. Be creative!

Additional Resources for Teaching
·         Sign up for a Peer Mentor
Our Advisory Committee has graciously offered to serve as mentors to school POL coordinators. If you would like to be paired with an experienced mentor, send me an email and we can connect you.
·         Read Suggestions from Students
Students answered questions on how their school competitions could have been improved, what they most enjoyed learning about, why they participated in the program and more. Use these answers from program participants to inform your school participation.  
·         Visit and bookmark the NH Poetry Out Loud page for important updates and the NEA POL webpage.
·         Read about the program and look over the teacher resources including:
  • October 23, 2016: Registration Deadline
  • October 2016 - February 2017: New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud School curriculum and competitions
  • November 3 & 7 Teacher Orientations
  • January 7, 2017: POL Student Poetry Clinic
  • February 2017: Judges Orientation
  • February 3, 2017: Deadline to hold School Competitions
  • February - March 2017: Regional Semi-Finals Competitions
  • March 10, 2017: NH State Finals Championship, NH State House, Concord
  • March 13, 2017: Snow Date for NH State Finals Championship, NH State House, Concord
  • April 24-26, 2017: Poetry Out Loud National Championship in Washington, DC

Teacher Orientations


October 12, 2016

"I was surprised that I was able to select poems that are so out of my usual spoken word preference. The Poetry Out Loud website has hundreds of poems that I have never seen before, and the fact that I found 3 and was able to make it so far with them is amazing to me. I guess I learned that stepping outside of the box is okay!"- Annabelle Emuze, 2015 IL POL Champion

Register Now for the Poetry Out Loud Teacher Orientation

We are happy to be hosting two POL Teacher Orientations for you to choose from. Attendance is STRONGLY encouraged for all schools and programs, even if you have already participated in previous years. A certificate for 2 CEUs will be given at the end of the orientation. All teachers in your school who will be participating are encouraged to attend. Register for the orientation here.  

·         NH Institute of Art, Manchester
Thursday, November 3, 4-6 PM
·         Museum of the White Mountains, Plymouth
Monday, November 7, 4-6 PM

The orientation will cover:
·         an overview of the POL program requirements
·         tips for teaching poetry and recitation in the classroom
·         best practices for recruiting students and judges
·         ways to use your school competition to feed positive school culture
·         the NH and national calendar of events
·         additional resources available to you, and more

I want to start digging in!
We encourage you to:
·         Visit and bookmark the NH Poetry Out Loud page for important updates and the NEA POL webpage.
·         Read about the program and look over the teacher resources including:
o   Connections to NCTE ELA Common Core Standards
·         Plan your curriculum to have a school-wide competition before the deadline February 3, 2017.

Want to get in the mood for poetry?!
·         Subscribe to Poetry Foundation’s Poem of the Day
·         Post a poem-a-day from the Poetry Out Loud Anthology in your classroom
·         Attend the NH Arts Education Conference with keynote and workshop by Maine Poet Laureate, Stuart Kestenbaum

See you in November!

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

2016- 2017 Poetry Out Loud- Welcome!

       

"Even people who don't particularly enjoy most forms of poetry can still find a poem that they enjoy AND be very good at reciting if they set their minds to it. What makes poetry so appealing is its ability to describe all sorts of different aspects of the human experience in a new and unique light. There is a poem out there for everyone. Even my dad...maybe."- Danielle Corbett, 2016 NH Poetry Out Loud Champion

Welcome to Poetry Out Loud 2016-2017!

We are excited to have your school participating in this year’s Poetry Out Loud Competition whether this is your 12th year or first. The program is a national model in poetry instruction that is supported by the NH State Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation. Best of all, the materials and trainings are free to all registered schools.

How do I start?
We encourage you to:
·         Visit and bookmark the NH Poetry Out Loud page for important updates and the NEA POL webpage.
·         Read about the program and look over the teacher resources including:
o   Connections to NCTE ELA Common Core Standards
·         Plan your curriculum to have a school-wide competition before the deadline February 3, 2017.

More training!
We will hold a mandatory training for all teachers participating in POL. The training is free and you will receive 2 hours of CEUs. You can choose to attend a training in Manchester or in Plymouth; dates to be announced soon! You will hear from experienced POL teachers, learn more about teaching poetry in your classroom, get tips on holding a successful school competition, and receive a printed copy of the teacher’s tool-kit (linked above). You will also receive posters for your classroom.

We will be celebrating poetry with you along the way!
You will continue to receive periodic program updates including:
  • resources
  • state-wide poetry events
  • information on the free poetry clinic for your students
  • important dates to remember
  • Keep us updated with:
  • the date of your school competition (we try to attend as many as possible)
  • any questions you have
  • if this is your first year, and you would like a peer mentor

Important Dates:
  • October 23, 2016: Registration Deadline
  • October 2016 - February 2017: New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud School curriculum and competitions
  • January 2017: POL Student Poetry Clinic
  • February 2017: Judges Orientation
  • February - March 2017: Regional Semi-Finals Competitions
  • March 10, 2017: NH State Finals Championship, NH State House, Concord
  • March 13, 2017: Snow Date for NH State Finals Championship, NH State House, Concord
  • April 24-26, 2017: Poetry Out Loud National Championship in Washington, DC
It is a true highlight of NH State Council on the Arts to support teachers and schools and help introduce poetry to nearly 10,000 NH students each year.  

See you soon,


Julianne Gadoury
Arts Education Coordinator