How to Teach Poetry Throughout the Year with Poetry Queen Lesa Smith

Do you have a subject you struggle to teach?  That subject for me would be poetry, but I’m not afraid to seek advice from others.  This week’s episode is an interview with Lesa from SmithTeachers9to12 who I have dubbed the Poetry Queen!  Lesa shares with us where her passion for poetry came from and how she turned a struggle into a passion!

In this episode on incorporating poetry in every unit, Lesa shares with us: 

• Start small, you don’t have to jump to a large poetry unit, ease into it by using poetry questions as your attendance questions or asking students to write poetry about themselves. 
• How you can help students learn to analyze poetry by first analyzing their own poems.
• How to incorporate elements of poetry in novel studies and other units throughout the year
• Some of her favorite poetry assignments - be sure to check them out!

Get to Know Lesa from SmithTeaches9to12:

Lesa Smith is a high school English teacher from Toronto, Canada. While not a poet herself, her love of poetry knows no bounds and she is always on the lookout for ways to include more poetry in class and to share those ideas with teachers. You can find her on Instagram as SmithTeaches9to12 where she'll happily answer your DMs while sipping a London Fog and listening to 90s grunge for as long as her six-year-old will allow! 

Poetry Resources 

6 Ways To Include Poetry In Your Next Novel Study

Quick Win: Poetry Grammar Lesson

5 Easy Ideas for Word Play During National Poetry Month

Connect with Lesa

SmithTeaches9to12 - website

SmithTeaches9to12 - TpT store

Be sure to join the Secondary ELA Facebook group where we will be continuing the conversation about poetry!

Tune in on your favorite podcast apps Apple, Google, Amazon, Spotify, Stitcher, and more!  If you’re loving this podcast, please rate, re

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