All posts in Joy Young

Poetry Mailbox

For their 7th week of poetry, Twain 4th graders thought about different ways they communicate with others. A few students mentioned learning sign language and even signed words for me with their hands. Other […]

Building A Community

This past Monday I was excited to be back for another residency at the O School. I taught poetry during the summer session and I’m looking forward to having twenty weeks to share and […]

I Am Autumn

This past Monday I was excited to be back for another residency at the O School. I taught students during the summer session and I’m looking forward to having twenty weeks to share and […]

Things To Do If You Are a Poet

For their sixth week of poetry Twain 4th graders learned about making a “To Do” list. This type of list helps someone keep track of all the tasks they have to complete. I asked […]

“The ball spins round and round the rim until… Swish!”

Things got louder and noisier for Twain 4th graders during their fifth week of poetry. Students discovered Onomatopoeia, when poets use words that imitate sounds from everyday life. I had shown examples of onomatopoeia […]

Spells that rhyme for Halloween time

This week is Halloween! To celebrate, on Tuesday, Twain 4th graders learned how rhymes can be magical. I asked students, “If you could create a magic spell, what would you use it for? Students […]

Poetry Road Trip

For our 3rd week of poetry, Twain 4th graders thought about memorable places they have visited, whether it’s in their neighborhood or as far away as Mexico. Travel is about adventure and a discovery […]

Dragon Days

What’s your favorite day of the week? What’s your least favorite? Why are some days better than others? These are the questions I asked this past Tuesday for my second week with Twain 4th […]

Get Ready for Poetry Out Loud 2025! Registration Is Now Open!

The Poetry Out Loud will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2025. The Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest is a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through analysis, […]

Paint Me Myself

I’m excited to be back teaching 4th graders this year at Twain Elementary. To get to know this new group of students, the theme for our first session on Tuesday was self-portraits. Artists create […]

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“Writing poetry makes me feel like I can see myself, like I can see my reflection, but not in a mirror, in the world. I write and I know I can be reflected.”
-Oscar S.

“Writing poetry makes me feel free.”
-Buenda D.

“Writing poetry is like your best friend.”
-Jessica M.

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I’M FROM THE CITY LIGHTS / STREAMING OUT IN THE NIGHT / AND HUGE SKYSCRAPERS / TOWERING OVER THE LAKE – MELISSA E., 7TH GRADE POET