This Spring, I will be teaching in a fifth-grade classroom!
For poetry month, I am challenging myself to write one poem each day on a different geographical location — where I have not visited or lived. Which means I will need to do some cursory research (search engines, be warned!), and thinking. Thirty countries in thirty days!
Though I will also be up to my eyeballs in lesson plans, I am hoping to use this as my deliberate time to learn and think… and relax. As in years past, simple free verse will predominate.
Is anyone interested in trying Renga with me during April? I am thinking about using haiku (5-7-5, or 17 syllables) stanzas. It might be fun. Using a Japanese poetry form for this could be a nice way to honor the people of Japan who are dealing with such horrific losses. Anyway, if you want to give this a try, drop a note in the comments section. If more than one person wants to do this, we could get a really interesting renga.
AND… I learned that I can do a poetry unit with the students! This is going to be GREAT!