Patron Of Reading - Poetry With Year 7 at Stalham High School, Norfolk

Earlier this year I was appointed Patron Of Reading at Stalham High School in Norfolk. My role is fairly informal, and will hopefully involve supporting literacy at the school over the coming years in a variety of fun, interesting ways. A couple of weeks ago I travelled from London for my first visit to the school, which went really well. After a poetry performance for Year 7 - as well as some Year 5 and 6 students from a local primary called Catfield, which I insisted on calling 'Dogfield' to the extremely mild amusement of some of the pupils - I led poetry workshops with small groups of students from Year 7 and 8.

The workshops were largely informal, with a heavy emphasis on lighthearted fun. I would like to post the results of the some of the Year 7 workshops (the Year 8 poems will be posted soon!). One group of Year 7 students wrote about their most embarrassing moments:

When I was six (By Elijah)

It was when I was six,

That I looked at the fish,

Their bowl seemed dirty, so I gave it a five star clean

I mixed soap and bleach in the water

And I felt so proud that I said “Mummy!”

My mum came in the room

She gave me a look of gloom,

It was only then that I realised I had ended the lives of some fish

I felt like a shark which had eaten a bunch of fish

but had only just realised that it wasn’t a carnivore…

I remember (By Isis)

I remember when I was small ,

And my most embarrassing moment occurred,

I walked up to the head teacher and said…

“Mummy?”

I wished that I was as small as an ant:

 Insignificant and pointless,

The class pointed fingers and laughed at me.

I must have sounded like a little snob,

Calling people “Mummy”

My face burned up,

I felt like a fool,

I never said the word “Mummy” again.

When I got slapped in the face by a fish (By Liam)

When I got slapped in the face by a fish when I was fishing,

I felt like when you try to pull off a stunt at a public swimming pool,

When everyone’s staring at you,

And cameras are all on record,

And you make the jump…

Your heart is racing …

Then…

EPIC FAIL!

I especially the sense of humour and quirkiness in these poem. Another group of Year 7 students wrote metaphor poems describing poetry, using the refrain 'Poetry Is':

Poetry is…(By Jake)

Poetry is when I fell head first in a puddle,

Poetry is a flower.

Poetry is a vegetarian zombie eating grains,

Poetry is sweets,

Poetry is a flame.

Poetry is…(By Kirsty)

Poetry is jumping in a cold pool on a cold night

Poetry I my brother being born funny,

Poetry is being scared of doors,

Poetry id going swimming with my brother,

Poetry is my dog eating a balloon.

Poetry is jumping off a hill,

Poetry is me.

Poetry is (By Stacey)

Poetry is the time my sister said that eggs came from cows.

Poetry is the time I feel in a lamppost

Poetry is the time my dog ate baby food.

 pOetry is the time Joshua Seigal came to our school.

Poetry is the stars in the night sky.