I, too, could star in Dead Poet's Society

First, I made my kids roar as loudly as they could.

Then I made them stand on a desk one at a time, on a teacher's desk to be precise, with the neon blue light of my overhead projector illuminating their faces and a yellow flashlight casting dramatic shadows from below.

As each student stood at the podium, towering over the rest of the cheering class, he/she belted out an original poem. Some students railed against mosquitoes, homework, small communities, poetry writing, unrealistic expectations, or the English language. Others questioned norms, money, or stereotypes. Students cheered each other on as rules were re-negotiated or the SATs mocked.

I finished my day with the resounding conviction: poetry slams with teenagers are really fun :)