Poetry Pauses: Teaching With Poems to Elevate Student Writing in All Genres

by Brett Vogelsinger

Unleash the power of poetry to boost all academic writing Student writing outcomes will transform if we invest more time in the genre we too often poetry! With Poetry Pauses , Brett Vogelsinger asserts that all good writing takes us to deeper places, whether it’s narrative, argument, informational, or verse. So why not use the palm-size examples of poems to develop students’ skills? This book helps you to No matter what students go on to do in life, being able to reach a broad audience with language that engages the whole mind is a gift. The resources here and online will stoke students’ logic and creativity immeasurably.

Genres: Poetry, Teaching

208 pages, Paperback

Published July 4, 2023

Reviews

[Erika Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most useful educator books I’ve ever read. It’s filled with strategies and activities for using poetry in narrative, argumentative, and informational writing as well as for analysis, grammar, and brainstorming. I love that Vogelsinger provides a list of poems in each chapter that relate to the skill or strategy discussed. There is also an appendix with reproducible worksheets and handouts.

[Kenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously the rating system is different for teacher books, but if you’re an English teacher, this is a must read. I love when PD books are both original and easy to implement & this is both! I’ve already used multiple ideas from this book in my classroom, & I’m excited to try more!

[Carriann Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you teach middle or high school English, you should read this book. I not only love all the poems and resources he includes, but the author shows teachers how to use poetry to teach every type of writing in the classroom. This is a book that will live on my desk and be used a lot.

[Annebet Pettit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not recommended for readers but it’s just amazing for English teachers to consider fresh ways of teaching poetry my favorite way: embed poems into reading and writing assignments to uncover great ways of looking closely at how we can better interpret, consider, and write about the world. I used many of his assignments, usually with my own favorite poems, and that amount of flexibility makes this an essential, five-star book for me!

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this after attending a session the the NCTE conference led by Vogelsinger, and am so glad that I did! This book offers just the right balance of theory and immediately-usable material.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my NCTE colleagues recommended this book, and as we began to consider our new state standards, I realized it would be the perfect addition to our curriculum work. Once I started reading this book, I couldn't stop recommending it to my colleagues. We are always trying to find ways to integrate poetry study in a manner that feels authentic. Vogelsinger changes the lens and suggests that instead of considering poetry as a genre to be taught by itself, we use poetry as a vehicle to direct our students towards stronger writing skills. This was a real lightbulb moment for me, and the numerous mini lessons and activities he includes in the book are all easy to implement and can be used during tomorrow's class. I shared a couple sample lessons with some colleagues during a PD session and they were all so excited about it that my supervisor agreed to purchase the book and we will be doing a complete book study next year! I've read it once cover to cover, but I'm excited to read it alongside our curriculum committee next year and see how they will implement these ideas in their classrooms. If you are a secondary-level teacher of writing, go get yourself a copy of Poetry Pauses!