Will Common Core be the end of National Poetry Month?

April is an interesting month in a middle school. Weather and students undergo dramatic changes. Forces of meteorology, biology, and accountability, in the form of state assessments,  all threaten the calm of a building. Fortunately, this month I've watched an equally powerful opposite force push against Spring Fever's inertia: National Poetry Month. The ELA teachers with whom I work dedicated a great deal of class time to poetry writing this April.

Our building is better for it.

Here are three reasons why the practice should continue even as standards change.

1.) The Common Core does not prohibit poetry.
Seventh grade ELA writing standards make no mention of poetry writing, and while there are voices making logical connections between CCSS and poetry, the standards clearly emphasize informational and persuasive writing. There are good reasons for this; however, as the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education  states the standards are not the only concepts that should be taught.

"The aim of the Standards is to articulate the fundamentals, not to set out an exhaustive list or a set of restrictions that limits what can be taught beyond what is specified herein."

Removing poetry writing from ELA curriculum in the name of CCSS is unnecessary.

2.) Poetry writing promotes intellectual development.
Rigor is an impossible word to avoid in conversations regarding CCSS. A clear treatment of rigor can be found in Justin Tarte's blog. Poetry writing, as much as any other classroom activity, addresses qualities of rigorous instruction. Few activities require more complexity and depth.

3.) Poetry writing promotes interpersonal development.
A peer editing session of robust persuasive essays will not cultivate relationships as well as a peer editing session of meager poems. This is true even for poetry written by the uninterested, but as ELA teachers know there are middle school poets who take great interest in their work. Often these are the students who miss deadlines. Some of the best middle school poems written are submitted after the due date. Praise to those who accept this late work! In these poems, students reveal themselves. And their struggles. Poetry writing, as much as any other classroom activity, has the power to close what John Hattie calls the empathy gap.  There is much value in this.

There are good reasons to support the CCSS, but I do not think CCSS should be the limit to what is taught in an ELA classroom. In spite of, or better said because of, CCSS's omission of poetry writing, teachers should be diligent in their efforts to include it in their curriculum.

Troy