"I am" Poem

A fantastic poem from Leslie, a 1st year mentor!

This past week in YESS we took some time to explore our creative sides by writing "I am" poems. This lesson is a fantastic way for our scholars to see that poetry is an accessible (even easy!) way to express our emotions.

We used Circle Maps to brainstorm descriptors for our poems.

Isaiah wrote a funny and very honest poem. The struggle is real!

We had some mentors who have done this lesson before and are now become experts at writing these sorts of poems. And while we had some mentees and mentors who struggled with this at first, eventually everyone got the hang of it. Once the poems were written, we then turned them into beautiful works of art. It was amazing to see the different emotions elicited by our scholars, and it was even more powerful to see the poems illustrated.


It was a special week for our mentees as they all received special letters of gratitude from their mentor(s). The mentors and I worked on these letters during Mentor Monday because, as we discussed, it is often those you help who teach you the most. The mentees were all so excited and surprised by this kind gesture, and I could tell that the mentors were very proud of their letters!

Alex works hard on his WRL during Tutoring Tuesday.

6th hour mentees read their gratitude letters from their mentors.

Leo has one of the most detailed, organized planners I have ever seen! Amazing work from a mentee.

Brisa helps her mentee, Bethsy, decorate her poem.

7th hour mentees work during Tutoring Tuesday time.

A great poem from a mentee in 3rd hour. 

Ze'Aira's poem is a beautifully honest depiction of her experience at Shaw Heights.

Stay tuned for more!