Educator Valerie Bolling Advocates for Poetry Writing in Classrooms to Boost Student Skills and Teacher Morale
Valerie Bolling, an award-winning educator and author, is promoting the integration of poetry writing into middle school classrooms. Bolling, who has published numerous children's books and two books for teachers, including 'Writing Poetry Month by Month: Inspiring the Poet in All Students,' emphasizes the multifaceted benefits of this practice. She highlights that writing poetry helps students develop word choice, figurative language, and sensory details, skills transferable to all forms of writing. Beyond academic gains, Bolling notes that poetry provides an outlet for self-expression, imagination, and emotional processing, potentially aiding in healing. She also suggests that engaging students in poetry can reignite teachers' passion for their profession, combating burnout caused by demanding schedules, large class sizes, and curriculum changes. Bolling's approach encourages various poetry activities, from creating 'baskets of poems' to organizing gallery walks and collaborative classroom poems, to fost...
