by Elizabeth Robinson

Created on: July 19, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

As an English teacher there would be times when I was truly stumped for ways to motivate my grade school students or find new ways to teach lessons. I have taught from Grade one all the way up to Grade 12 in the 15 years I was a teacher and I found myself having to adapt my words of motivation each school year to suit the comprehension level of each group. Until I discovered how powerful poetry could be for them and helpful to me!

I realized that telling them what to do and how to do it once, would never be enough, so I started writing poetry, rhymes and chants to teach my students any and every lesson they needed to know. I had Grammar lessons in the form of rhymes and you could see kids mouthing them to themselves during grammar exams. I wrote lessons of punctuation, math formulas, and all kinds of tips and tricks to help them learn and remember. None of these were as important however, than the poems I wrote to motivate them.

If you want your students to keep a lesson in their mind, write it out in the format of a poem or chant with lots of rhythm and recite it with them each day until they learn it by heart. Chant them with them while they get up to get their books for the next lesson or line up for recess and notice how organized and quietly they will do these usually chaotic maneuvers. Teach them anything you want to with the power of poetry and your life as a teacher will change forever. Believe me! I know. I've been there!

See one of my motivational poems at:
http://www.helium.com/knowledge/14258-testimonies -the-power-of-poetry

If you are stuck for an idea - send me your issue and I will gladly whip up a verse for you to get you started. Should you be interested in having a link to this service on your school web-site, please contact me at jlrobinson67@hotmail.com and I will gladly send you my poetry creating link.

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