I really enjoyed reading about I poems. At first I did not know exactly what an I poem was. I think that it is really neat that through teaching a poem, I can also teach character, plot, setting and narrative point of view. So many times I complain and hear others complain that there is simply not enough time in the day to teach everything that I need to. This is a great way to incorporate reading and writing in the same lesson and ultimately maximizing instruction. I have seen the the template for an I poem before, but I have not ever really used it. Wow, have I missed out on an opportunity. (Is it really a missed opportunity when I did not know how to use that tool effectively?)
I particularly like the fact that through constructing an I poem about a character, my students can better identify with that character. My students have a hard time relating to characters in books. (Why then is it so hard to convince my 3rd graders that realistic fictional characters are not real? You would think that we were reading about their neighbor or their cousin’s best friend’s mother-in-law twice removed. They fight to the bitter end) I can not wait to use the I poem in my reading and writing class. I know that my students will grow and learn lots.
