Post Conference Highlights...Part II

One of the most anticipated sessions (for me, anyway), was the Poetry Slam session. Why? Well, I've always enjoyed poetry, reading and writing it, and I like performance arts. Pair the two together and....Poetry Slam!

The presenter works at a small K-8 school in Pitt County. Although she didn't believe anyone present would know the name of her school, I not only knew the name, but I have actually been to the school itself! While her ideas work well at a tiny school, they can definitely be adapted for our very large population.

Naturally, however, this creates a to-do list that will have to be put off until the spring semester. (Why put off anything that late? Well....next week alone is Early Release, Veteran's Day, and the ASVAB test. In 2 weeks is Thanksgiving. A few weeks after that? Christmas. We come back in January and jump into exams. Not a lot of time to get anything ready on the parts of the students or any staff members helping (plus there are the winter concerts and other events already underway!).

What could there possibly be to do? Well, when planning a slam, it helps to have the students introduced to poetry. This is most easily done in English classes, but not everyone takes English in the fall semester. If it could be introduced (it doesn't have to be in depth) at the beginning of the spring semester, that could give all interested students the opportunity to be thinking about poetry in preparation for an April slam. Then the following tasks are needed for a successful event:

1. Set date
2. Reserve space
3. Have video equipment, spotlight, stool for performers (if necessary), audience seating, etc. - this would not be a problem since we have an auditorium, but we would have to work around spring performance schedules!
4. Invite speaker/poet/headliner if planning to do so
5. Get donated prizes if desired
6. Promote early!!!!!
7. Get 3-5 judges
8. Get staff members to be the scorekeeper, timekeeper, photographer, videographer, slideshow tech, run sound/music, lighting, set up/tear down (students can do the last 6)
9. Create you tube channel if planning to show video of slam
10. Create google hangout if planning to stream live
11. Create slideshow to randomly introduce performers
12. Have google form for performers to fill out to use to create slideshow
13. Have something to entertain audience during transition moments between performers
14. Have M.C.

Now, the rules for a slam can be tailored for your school, but in general they would be something like:

1. It must be an original poem. 
2. It must be memorized.
3. Your performance (emotion, enthusiasm, gestures) is important.
4. Two-minute time limit.
5. No props, costumes, offensive language, or other person's poetry.
6. Group poetry is okay but it must have parts performed in unison and must be written together.
7. Poetry is judged by effectiveness, emotion, and performance.

Often if you have 5 judges, it can have an Olympic type scoring where the highest and lowest scores are dropped.

My thoughts on this? It can be fun, It might have to be done during a SMART lunch in some way, and it is not something to do solo...this is an activity that will be a lot of fun when shared with other people!