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.

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