Kotulak, Jennifer

Keywords: Literacy, Slam Poetry, Balanced Literacy Program

Abstract

Recently, Shane Koyzcan presented a work of art at the Olympics inspiring millions of Canadians. Surprisingly, this work of art was a spoken word poem. Shane Koyczan leaves many people wondering, “Where has poetry like this been all my life?” Powerful, oral, rich, engaging and interactive, spoken word is a unique form of poetry that is here to stay. Slam Poetry – a certain style of spoken word poetry – is spoken to an audience with a three minute time limit, which is judged out of ten from chosen audience members. This qualitative research study explores how two teachers and one poetry workshop organizer incorporate Slam Poetry into their classrooms. Data was collected through one-on-one interviews in the Toronto area. Analysis of both the related literature and the collected data suggests that Slam Poetry can help inspire and energize student's engagement with poetry. Further, the oral nature of Slam Poetry helps create a community of writers and listeners, whereby sharing one's work, working together and supporting each other becomes central to the learning process. This in turn, helps create a more balanced literacy program, supports multiple learners in one's class, and broadens everyone's view of who is a poet.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Tim Fletcher, Dr. Clive Beck and the members of my research group for their ongoing support, advice, and guidance. Kassandra Wowk, Laura Johnson, Sam Halpern, Celeste Dickson, and Christine McKenna are all part of an informal group that I would like to thank for their additional support and love. Additionally, I would like to thank my research participants for volunteering their time to speak with me about their heartwarming experiences with Slam Poetry within the classroom. I am so grateful for your expertise and openness to sharing. Lastly I would like to thank my sister Katie Kotulak. You are my rock, my soul mate and my best friend. Thank-you for attending multiple slams with me and sharing my love of literacy.