The most recent episode of the Poetry Off the Shelf podcast was a back-to-school episode. The title is what caught my attention: "Teaching Poetry in Times Like These."
Do we change what we teach because of the times we teach in? The podcast doesn't mention President Trump but it surely is alluding to the current administration as part of the turmoil of the times.
Of course, poems change - or our feelings and interpretations change - depending on the time when we read them.
I won't be in a classroom teaching this fall, but I don't know if I would be selecting reading selections based on the politics and news of the day.
What I would heartily agree with that the teacher interviewed in the program says is that teachers need to give their students choice and a voice.
The classroom is where poetry connects with young people and also where they can disconnect from poetry.
Listen to the podcast (14 minutes) online at stitcher.com/podcast/poetry-foundation/poetry-off-the-shelf/
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