Middle school English teacher Mr. Thacher captivated fifth graders last week with two engaging poetry workshops! Students explored how words create mental images, beginning with a challenge to describe a towering crane. As they offered literal descriptions—big, tall, strong—Mr. Thacher asked, “Why is a crane called a crane?” prompting students to make connections between the bird and the machine, and to consider how words can carry layered meanings—and the difference between literal and figurative descriptions. He encouraged them: “As you write, think about the images and experiences that pop into your head—and describe the pictures you see.”
The second visit shifted from how language looks to how it sounds—and the rhythm of poetry. Reading aloud from The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, Mr. Thacher expressed that poetry has rhyme, repetition, and rhythm. Then, following Mr. Thacher’s lead, students enthusiastically moved around the room to match different poetic meters: trochees (strong–weak), iambs (weak–strong), dactyls (strong–weak–weak), and anapests (weak–weak–strong). Trochees stomped like monsters, iambs pulsed like heartbeats, and dactyls galloped like horses. He ended with spondees—single strong beats—emphasizing that rhythm lives everywhere in language.
Fifth graders greatly enjoyed the workshops, evident with their big smiles and rapt attention. As class was wrapping up, Oliver asked, “How many years have you been coming down to teach poetry to fifth graders?” in which Mr. Thacher shared that it was his very first year, but that it’s something he’s wanted to do for a long time! We are quite certain it’s the first of many years to come!
