............Student Support News

After the October CORE tests, I decided to give the English students a day off from regular class work to spend time writing poetry. After weeks of grammar and reading comprehension exercises, I figured they would enjoy it. I prefaced the day’s work by telling the students there were NO RULES. They could even use expletives, if they chose, as long as the words expressed something they felt, rather than simply using the words for shock value.

The results were remarkable. Everyone ended up writing something. Most of the poetry was quite good. The students enjoyed themselves, and so did I. I told Principal Beach about the results, and she suggested a poetry slam. I have a background in theatre, so I jumped at the chance.

The result was Slam! That’s Good! The slam was held in the warehouse of Premier Academy on Tuesday, December 19, 2006.

The students began rehearsing in early November, usually meeting from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. in small groups. We started out with 29 participants, and ended up with a solid 16 performers who showcased a combination of their own poems or read other people’s poems. Some students wanted their poems included in the show, but did not want to perform them themselves.

Our performance conditions in the warehouse were very much “street theatre.” What we lacked in resources was more than made up in creativity. These young people wanted to be heard and seen.

There was no rhyme or reason to the lineup of poems. I tried to give the show a theme, but the poems were too varied. These were kids expressing themselves freely. The poems were sad, angry, nonsensical, funny, passionate—just like the kids. Some of the performers were first-timers on stage and others were veterans. All of them put in the time to memorize the work and rehearse it for the show.

Samantha Z. was my stage manager. She organized rehearsals, tracked down students, and inspired a high level of cooperation. She, along with Cassi P. and Julian S., worked diligently on the scenery. Sammael Q. joined the show late, but engineered all the incidental music and was one of the performers. Other performers were Gerrick I., Destyni B., Jelessa B., Brett W., Danielle G., Brandon E., Shinqua J., Denell M., and Chanelle K.

The show was important to these students because it was another way to show what they know and how they feel about it. Performance is an alternative method of teaching confidence, art, self expression, and cooperation. Each participant contributed something, but all of them had to work together to present the final product. The performance of their work is their proof of learning. In spite of performance anxiety and technical challenges, these students showed that they care, that they know things, and that they have talent, courage, and staying power. I am proud of all of them.