Fresh off their one-week in-school Spoken Word residency with Spoken Word artist Christian Robinson, Brooks’ seventh graders were eager to perform their poems to audiences of parents and classes throughout the day the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Robinson started the proceedings by teaching the audience the rules of poetry slam audience behavior. After each introduction you yell “Bring the Heat” and then during the poem snap for specific lines you like. Clapping is appreciated after the poem, and until the next poet introduces him or herself. Keeping the energy up is essential to helping the young poets perform.
The subject of the Slam was “odes,” or tributes, and topics ranged from the touching and serious (family members, God, Mexican Culture) to the humorous and off beat (Beds, Steak, Burger King, and Michael Scott of the TV show The Office).
Even a teacher got in on the act, performing her ode to dancing.
Photos courtesy of Paul Goyette. To see all photos, please click the photo below.
