January 26th - Slam Poetry

January 26^th – Slam Poetry in the Classroom

One thing I like about slam poetry is that it is an outlet for people to creatively express opinions on issues they are genuinely concerned about. In that light, incorporating slam poetry into academic classroom settings can be beneficial for students because they are able to bring personal interests into the classroom. It is rare that students are able to bring their interests into the classroom, and so I believe slam poetry is positive in that sense because it can encourage engagement.

However, as we discussed in class, I also find some shortcomings in using slam poetry in schools. One shortcoming is the fact that slam poetry is such a wide-open genre of poetry, it can be difficult to assess and evaluate. How would teachers evaluate a piece of slam poetry that is only two lines of text? How are teachers supposed to clearly communicate their expectations for slam poetry assignments?

On top of that, I think it could be overwhelming for students to be asked to produce and perform a piece of slam poetry. Not all students are comfortable with the performance aspect, which could create barriers in how to implement activities around slam poetry. I think that if slam poetry is to be used as evidence of learning, it should be one of several options that students can use to demonstrate their learning. This way if a student is intrigued by slam poetry, they can explore it and generate their own poems. On the other hand if a student is intimidated by the idea of slam poetry, they should have access to an alternative assignment.

This is a video I would probably show my students if I were going to do anything related to slam poetry with them. It shows how powerful words are and how words can captivate an audience when used skillfully.  

... the fact that it is a celebrity with whom they may be familiar may also make the content more engaging for students.