Today we are IN THE CLASSROOM at Summit Middle School, where students are writing poetry for the annual Eighth Grade Poetry Slam.
But they aren’t just writing poetry. On May 30 select eighth graders are reading their poetry in front of nearly 100 classmates and a panel of judges, including Summit School superintendent Dr. Tony Byrd and Julie McCluskie, our local state representative and Speaker of the House.
For many this will be their biggest audience for public speaking, and the first time they have put creative writing out into the world.
They are getting ready by doing their homework. For two weeks they have been watching videos of professional poetry slams, where published poets put their hearts and souls into every word. They learned how a poetry slam is part performance and part confession, and although they are nervous they look forward to sharing their work with friends and teachers.
Krystal 93 stopped by Summit Middle one week before the poetry slam to hear what budding poets have learned about the art of writing:
“They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, but I think that poetry is a way into another person’s soul, to be able to actually see what’s going on in there that you might not be able to see.” — Gabriella
“I was able to express my feelings and speak for other people who are afraid to speak up… the hardest part was making up the words, and how I could find ways to touch people’s feelings.” – Adrienne
“I enjoyed it. I also feel like it helped me process my grandfather’s death, to put it down on paper. It was sad but I never thought too much about it. It felt good to put it into words.” – Lorenzo
“I liked how emotional and how passionate you can get about your writing… I don’t have a title yet but the inspiration behind it is how I’ve changed into more of a teen, and how being younger made me the person I am today.” – Scarlett
Thanks for going IN THE CLASSROOM from Heavenly Times Hot Tubs and Billiards, and Boost Oxygen.