Resources
Your classroom already has poets in it.
What I give teachers before and after a visit: planning help, rubrics, curriculum links and ways to keep the writing going.
School board run
Where to start
Planning guide
Choose the workshop, grade range, number of classes, room setup, school goals, and whether the visit connects to a larger residency.
Rubrics
Assessment can focus on voice, specificity, metaphor, revision, oral sharing, and connection to classroom outcomes.
Curriculum links
The workshop catalog maps poetry work to Language Arts, Health, Social Studies, Science observation, Visual Arts, and career reflection.
PD support
I run PD for teachers who want to use poetry for critical thinking, identity and student voice.
Materials
Materials for your class.
Ask me for these
My workshops one-pager, a highlights sheet, assessment rubrics and a detailed Alberta ELA alignment guide. Ask and I’ll send them to you.
Curriculum
Curriculum alignment
Each workshop maps to Language Arts outcomes first, with secondary connections into Health, Social Studies, Science observation, and Visual Arts depending on the workshop chosen. I can send you the detailed Alberta ELA alignment guide.
Workshop-by-workshop curriculum connections are listed on each workshop page.
Method
How my sessions run
What actually happens when I teach, taken from the residencies and workshops I’ve delivered.
Start from language students already own
I start with the words students already use about themselves and their world, not with a famous poem to copy.
Make revision visible
We treat the first draft as material, so changing a line feels like thinking, not failing.
Build toward sharing, gradually
Reading aloud comes in stages and is always optional, so sharing feels like talking, not pressure.
What an instructor said
I have invited Ahmed to my classes at the secondary high school and undergraduate university levels several times over the past number of years. Each time, I am amazed at his ability to connect with children, youth, and adults of all ages and backgrounds. With his art, Ahmed shatters assumptions while simultaneously inviting the listener in to the worlds he powerfully and eloquently (re)constructs and (re)imagines. I am so grateful to know Ahmed and greatly admire and appreciate his passion for building communities of compassion and care.
Dr. Muna Saleh, Instructor, Department of Secondary Education, University of Alberta, 2018
Professional development
Training for your staff.
Teacher workshops, PD day programming, and curriculum integration support.