Poetry Unit

I never thought that I would ever enjoy poetry, but after the poetry unit I think I have a better appreciation for it. When I was in school, my teachers always had strict rules about the poems we were required to write. I really like Koch's ideas. By not making poetry seem like work would really help to make is seem less like a task to the kids. I also like that he doesn't want the poems to rhyme, whcih was something that my teachers really wanted and made writing poetry that much more annoying. Another thing I really liked was that Koch did not judge their poetry and edit the things that the students wrote. Wishes, Lies, and Dreams had many different types of poems that I enjoyed reading and writing. I think students would have much more fun writing these types of poems then the ones I was forced to write as an elementary school student.

Shakespeare Unit

The Shakespeare Unit was a fun and interesting unit. I liked the Hobart Shakespearean video. I like that the teacher talks to and treats his students as adults, but his sometimes I think his choice of words is not appropriate. I also don't understand how when the students spend time learning about other subjects. I do like his money system and I like that he challenges the kids by choosing books that most high school students are required to read.

The Shakespeare skits in class were pretty funny. I am not big on acting in front of the class, but I know that is something I will have to get over eventually. I think elementary students would really enjoy watching and performing skits. I think it would also help them to better understand what it is that they are reading.

If I had a fourth grade class or higher I would like to try to incorporate higher level reading books into the curriculum. I wish I could take the kids on the field trips that the Hobart Shakespearean teacher took his students on, but I know that is not very likely to happen. I would also like my students to act out some of the books that we read in class.