All posts in Robbie Telfer

Fears Of Your Life

Today we are talking fear with Regina Barreca and her poem “Nighttime Fires.” After reading the poem, we had discussions about times they felt afraid and I encouraged them to try to recreate those […]

Ode to Odes

Moos Elementary – Week 5 Today we were reading Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to Thanks” and writing our own thankful odes. I told the kids that if they couldn’t think of anything they were thankful […]

More Animals

TEAM Englewood – Week 4 I like to teach the animal persona poem everywhere, so here’s more – this time from the 9th graders at TEAM. Ms. Dube – 9th Grade 5th Period “A […]

Animal Rationale

Moos – Week 4 I like to teach Tao Lin’s “A poem written by a bear” not only because it’s a fun representation of personification and persona, but I also find it’s a great […]

Images as Lives

TEAM Englewood – Week 3 I like using Jack Gilbert’s “Michiko Dead” in the High School classroom because it’s powerful and short, uses only one image, and doesn’t mention what the image represents anywhere […]

Shoulda Been _______

Week 2 – TEAM Englewood This week we looked at Patricia Smith’s title poem from her latest collection “Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah” – the poem as well as the book explore Patricia’s upbringing in […]

Cartoons

Moos – Week 3. The sixth graders I work with at Moos are the most eager to beg me to post things on this blog. So much so, they’ve started writing poems outside of […]

Week 1 – TEAM Englewood

I’m teaching to three 9th grade English classes in Ms. Dube’s room every Tuesday. The first week I wanted to tie poetry to the book they are reading (Your Food is Fooling You) by […]

Talking to Inanimate Objects

Week 2 – Moos Elementary This week we looked at Frank O’Hara’s “A True Account of Talking to the Sun at Fire Island.” In it, Frank has a conversation with the sun where the […]

Week 1 – Moos Elementary

I’m in three classrooms at Moos Elementary – Ms. Ramirez’s 4th graders, Ms. Morales’s 6th graders, and Ms. Moss’s 4th graders. Each class has it’s own personality and even through I’m teaching the same […]

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