A Poem for Every Student: Creating Community in a Public School Classroom [Paperback]

Sheryl Lain (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: National Writing Project (January 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883920132
• ISBN-13: 978-1883920135
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,987,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for educators; a way to save our schools!, July 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Poem for Every Student: Creating Community in a Public School Classroom (Paperback)

Most teachers and administrators in today's schools are worried sick about what's happening to alienated students and wondering what they can do to affect positive changes. Sheryl Lain's book gives some easy, clear directives and should be a "must read" for them. As Adam, one of Lain's students, says, "If there was more love in the real world like in here, I think there would be a lot less crime and violence." 'Here' refers to Lain's class where each individual is prized and encouraged to embrace the larger picture which includes everyone else. Lain creates vivid pictures of real kids--and as she often shares with them what she writes about them, the reader sees some of these students begin to change. The students, likewise, are encouraged to give to their peers through writing. The author maintains, "Writing connects people" --and with all this writing and sharing comes unity. But it's more than a book about teaching writing and reading and inspiring lively discussions. We get intimate insights into the types of children who make up a school. We meet the anarchist kid, the homeless boy, the girl who's held in too-tight restraints by her anal-retentive father, the kid who's been moved around too often, the one who's seen terrible violence in the home, the happy kid who extends his attitude to everyone, the shy girl who winds up inviting the entire class to a party--and many, many more. Though most of the students wind up changing for the better, the author pulls no punches, does not 'sugar-coat'. There's the kid on the parking lot who calls Lain "Bitch." She lets him know how this felt, handing him a poem which says in part: "Before my brain registered the insult / I'd smiled at you/ in greeting/ Now your sunglasses mirror/ my crooked smile/ slipping sideways down my face." We don't know if this kid changed or not, but at least he read the poem. I think all teachers, even those not involved in language arts, should read this book. Just as Lain is able to change the minds of some of her students, I believe strongly that this book can change the minds and hearts of some adults.

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational for secondary education teachers, November 30, 2008

By 

J. Lobb (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Poem for Every Student: Creating Community in a Public School Classroom (Paperback)

Sheryl Lain's commitment to her students and to her pedagogical method's may be hard to replicate, but the safe and loving community that she strives to create in each class is a goal worth striving for. Her methods are not a fix-all for the problems in our education system, but I do believe that building community enables us to become better teachers. The examples and stories in this book are a great place to start for anyone wishing to enrich their classroom environment.