Five Ways To Make Your School Visit Interactive

By Janie Reinart

I had a lovely time with the students from Immaculate Heart of Mary School with my program, Finding the Words. Writing poetry is a fail-safe way for students to improve confidence in their reading and writing ability. 

When planning your school visits, engage students by making your time together interactive.  Here are five ways to accomplish that goal.

1. Send a video to get the students excited for your visit!

I created a riddle and incorporated it into my presentation. The first student from each class, who answered correctly, chose a prize ranging from a new journal to stationery. 

 2.  "Catch" that thought. 

Use a beach ball and toss to students to encourage them to be part of the discussion. What is poetry?

3. Group participation. 

Use these props for students to do a choral reading. G is for girls. B is for boys. Held up together means everyone copies the line and how you say it. Each group stands separately or together and repeats the line.

4. Must have writing time! 

The eight graders were so quiet, all you could hear was the sound of their pencils as they wrote at the tables. Woohoo! Music to my ears! Share your writing with the students so that they will share their writing with you.

    This touching poem was written by Alayna to honor her little sister. The line "Your eyes never got old" is the most poignant to me. The detail of "brown eyes" placed before that line makes a direct connection with our hearts.

Where’d you go?

About 8 years old

Brown eyes so big

Your eyes never got old

About 8 years old

Why did you go?

Your eyes never got old

You’re more beautiful than gold

Why did you go?

I miss you so

You’re more beautiful than gold

Your laugh never got old

I miss you so

Brown eyes so big

Your laugh never got old

Where’d you go ?

5. Post workshop activity.

Make a graffiti wall from shelf paper for each class.  The "paper wall" is placed on a table or taped to the wall in the classroom. Students use the wall as a group journal. I wrote three prompts, answered each prompt and signed what I wrote. Students are encouraged to do the same. This quote is from Kai, a third grader.

"Poetry is like clay pottery, you set it out to dry and it hardens into history."

 Thank you to the charming students and wonderful staff at IHM . We had fun writing and "Finding the Words". Share how you interact with students for your school visits.