Brave New Voices: The YOUTH SPEAKS Guide to Teaching Spoken Word Poetry

by Scott Herndon

Over the last several years, YOUTH SPEAKS after-school poetry workshops have helped turn hundreds of student writers into passionate poets. And now, Jen Weiss, director of YOUTH SPEAKS New York, and Scott Herndon share some of the secrets of their successenabling you to transform your poetry lessons into a dynamic learning environment, where students develop not only a passion for poetry, but clear and powerful expression. Utilizing student examples from their spoken word poetry workshops, Weiss and Herndon present their methods and outline a practical five-week course that fosters poetic awareness by focusing on writing, self-reflection, and performance. Designed specifically for middle and high school English classrooms, Brave New Voices offers teachers an overview of spoken word poetry and explores the relationship between poetic forms, youth expression, and performance. Ultimately, teachers will discover guidelines for staging a teen poetry slam, enabling students to unlock their poetic passion in front of their peers. Ultimately, Brave New Voices provides teachers with a "how-to" guide to staging a teen poetry slam, enabling students to unlock their poetic passion in front of their peers. For all levels of students and developing artists, from the shy to savvy, here is a way to spark a love of poetry. For students already composing poems, here is a way to help them take a powerful step forward in their growth as writers. And for teachers, here is a way to liberate poetry from dry textbooks by tapping the poetic potential within the next generation.

Genres: Poetry, Teaching

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2001

Reviews

[Tabitha Vohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love poetry. As a teacher of AP Lit and Senior English, I get to dabble in poetry with my students. However, AP places heavy emphasis on the students' ability to analyze and discuss structure and craft and meaning; not a lot of time to write or explore their own.

Every year, I show the 2010 DVD Brave New Voices poetry slam, and every year my students are pumped (and also deeply affected)by watching teenagers performing their own spoken word poetry. Every year I hear them say, "we should do that. Can we?" My own feelings of inadequacy as a teacher of "writing" poetry has held me back. Sure, I can teach you how to analyze it until the sun goes down, but creating it (and doing it well) is an entirely different story, especially when you are dealing with a class of students who h-a-v-e to be there. In a perfect world, I'd have my own little poetry class to take as an elective and we would go for it. Alas, that it not the case.

Nevertheless, this book has empowered me with strategies and assignments (as well as a jumping off place) to begin incorporating more writing and performance of poetry into my English classes. It's brief, but there are about 50 assignment ideas that you can use, tweak, modify to fit a true workshop or a classroom.

[Shannon T.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good guide to leading a spoken word workshop with youth. i probably would have given this 4 1/2 stars if that was an option because i wish there had been at least one chapter where they laid out the structure (complete with times) of a typical workshop session. that would have been helpful.

i appreciate the pedagogical insight into how and why they do the things they do. it brought a lot of depth to what could otherwise have been a shallow book.

overall i really recommend this book to folks who might be thinking about doing this kind of work with you. i recommend checking out the "brave new voices" hbo series along with it, especially if you haven't actually seen much slam poetry performed. that will give you a much more holistic sense of what they are hoping to achieve in their workshops. (as BNV is the national championships of the Youth Speaks workshops).

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is designed for Brave New Voices mentors, but most of it can also be applied in the traditional English classroom. A week-by-week format is helpful in structuring long-term lesson plans.

However, as I sat down to read, I wished that each chapter was a little more interactive. It was written in a very informational style, which contrasted significantly with other books teaching books I've read from this same publisher. The lesson exercises were not described in much detail, and only a few "student" examples were included.

For the price, I wanted more.

[Jacque · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very helpful to me as I was structuring my 8th grade spoken word unit. It provided an insightful progression of themes through a six week unit, and thoughtfully addressed the socio-politics of a classroom.

[Sophie Jeukens · Rating 4 out of 5]

good advice and workshop ideas.
quite USA-oriented.

[Sarah Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll say more or even change the rating post/ during practice.