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Coffee talk
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A passion of many of the students was the sports that they play at school. Jimmy Dicioccio wrote about his experiences on the basketball team.
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The students of Michelle DeFabio’s English class posed after their poetry reading, many showing off some of their “serious poet” poses.
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During their poetry unit, DeFabio’s students learned different types of poems that they could use to express themselves. Riley Chiu wrote a “two voice” poem, where she explored the process of finding her true self.
By SARAH FOOR
In a coffee shop poetry performance, customary praise for great work is snapping one’s fingers for the poet instead of clapping loudly. Michelle DeFabio’s seventh-grade class became experts on the polite praise Feb. 4, as they closed their poetry unit with a reading in DeFabio’s Canfield Village Middle School classroom.
At the start of the year, DeFabio transformed her classroom into her own coffee shop with warm mocha colored accessories, a relaxing pillow corner, and a chair for readings.
“Our coffee shop has been happening all year,” DeFabio explained. “It was my way to create a laid-back environment for the kids, taking away the pressures of deadlines and how many pages they have to read.”
DeFabio and her fellow language arts teacher Jason Jugenheimer took advantage of the relaxing environment, and allowed their students greater choice in reading materials. Librarian Terry Markulin has helped the students choose entertaining but still school appropriate books, and with the program, the group has seen reading levels skyrocket to 30 to 40 novels read per student in their classrooms.
The Feb. 4 event was a celebration of a successful year of reading and the end of the student’s poetry unit. The students shared their poems with their classmates and enjoyed a spread of coffee shop treats like doughnuts, scones, and biscotti during the readings.
“Relax, I’m not grading you,” DeFabio told her fourth-period class. “I just want you to share your words and enjoy yourselves.”
With that encouragement, the students shared works that explored sports, conflicts and personal journeys. Each poem ended with a chorus of encouraging snaps.