Blog The Poetry Rebellion: Why the ‘Reluctant Writer’ is Actually a Secret Poet
By Frankie O'Reilly | Guest Blog
"To
freeze the moment
In
seventeen syllables
Is very
diffic—"
After
reading numerous haikus with my class, pointing out the syllable pattern and
reflecting on themes of nature, I share this John Cooper Clarke masterpiece.
The reaction is instantaneous. There is a collective gasp, followed by a ripple
of laughter. It is the sound of a barrier breaking. In that one
"unfinished" word, children realise that poetry isn’t a trap designed
to catch them out—it’s a playground where they are finally allowed to break the
rules.
Identifying the Barriers
As World Poetry Day approaches on March 21st, many teachers feel a familiar
sense of hesitation. In a high-pressure curriculum, it can feel safer to stick
to safe, structured book studies. We worry about the vocabulary gap, the
time-poor schedule, and the aesthetic pressure for pupils’ English books to
look a certain standard.
I’ve sat in many planning meetings where the fear is that a particular cohort
simply won’t “get” poetry because they are struggling or reluctant writers. My
mission is always to prove the opposite: the reluctant writer is exactly
who poetry is for. I have seen those same "hesitant" classes go on to
host poetry exhibitions that stop the local community in their tracks and land
them in newspapers. The key wasn't changing the children; it was changing the
‘rules’ of the writing.
Three Ways to Join the Rebellion
1. Lower the Floor! Low floor-high ceiling tasks lend themselves so well to
poetry. For the child who freezes at a blank page, remove the pressure of
generation. Start with Blackout Poetry, Book Spine Poetry, or Paint Chip
Poetry. There’s no need to write a thing—and yes, these look incredible stuck
into English books! Check out Part 3 of 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers:
Poetry—‘Playing with words: creative writing exercises for young poets.’
2. Emotional Literacy - Poetry allows expression and, as a Thrive Practitioner,
SENDCo, and Mental Health Lead, I am a champion of trauma-informed practice.
Relationships create a sense of belonging, and that belonging is the heartbeat
of a school. Part 13 of the book is all about encouraging emotional expression
through poetry.
Try Idea 94, for instance, creating Emotion Jar Poetry—or Idea 96, which is
about having Poetry on Prescription in your classroom! I cannot say it enough:
poetry is free therapy. A pupil feeling "big feelings" in your class?
Spending 20 minutes unpicking their feelings with them and creating an emotion
jar to explore what it truly feels like for them will save you hours down the
line, as well as creating a valuable connection.
3. The "In-Between" Magic - You don’t need an extra hour in the day.
Teach and recite a poem while lining up for lunch or walking into the assembly
hall. I love Pie Corbett’s Talk for Writing approach for teaching poetry—make
it fun, include movement and action. Learning poetry by heart builds cultural
capital. By the time they leave your classroom, they will carry those words
with them forever—and they’ll always remember the teacher who gave them that
gift.
The Rebellion Starts Here
Poetry is the ultimate rule-breaker. It can be as short as a haiku or as grand
as a Shakespearean sonnet. In our new book, '100 Ideas for Primary Teachers:
Poetry', we’ve curated a toolkit designed to turn "I can't"
into "I just did."
This World Poetry Day, let’s stop worrying if they’ll "get it" and
start letting them actually do it. Don't be afraid of the mess or the
rules that need breaking. Lean into the ‘diffic.’
