Jan Susman
The objective of the poets-in-residence program is to provide a poetic outlet for students to build critical thinking skills, academic and personal confidence, creative writing skills, as well as a greater understanding of the self in relation to community and society.
The program will culminate in a final performance wherein volunteer and selected students can share their poetry and knowledge with the greater Truckee community.
The poet-teachers will focus on student strengths, interests, and cultural knowledge in order to provide the youth with a bridge into the literary and performance-based art of spoken word poetry. The curriculum will include analysis of written poems as well as the creation and editing of student poems. Starting January 7th and ending February 1st, the 5th graders will meet twice a week with the artists for a total of 8, 1-hour-long sessions. The 4th graders will meet once a week for a total of 4, 1-hour-long sessions. The 3rd graders will also meet once a week for a total of 4, 1-hour-long sessions.
Teachers from 3rd, 4th, and 5th will share skills and strategies learned and experienced during the workshops. Follow lessons will be developed and shared among all of the teachers involved in the program.