Using Poetry as a Medium for Personal Awareness

Illustration Elements

Illustration Sub-competencies:

Context

This student participated in a district workshop with professional poets and learned how to use poetry as a medium to discover personal awareness. In her poem, she discusses her lifelong challenge of being naturally thin and the trauma she has suffered to her self-image and in her relationships.

In her poem presentation, she takes her audience through her personal journey and by the end of the poem, expresses how she now feels and the acute personal awareness she has gained through her experiences. Her presentation provides an opportunity for others to learn from her experience.

Illustration

Activity Video

Profile Analysis

Personal Awareness and Responsibility

PROFILE SIX
I can identify my strengths and limits, find internal motivation, and act on opportunities for self-growth. I take responsibility for making ethical decisions.

I am aware of my personal journey and reflect on my experiences as a way of enhancing my well-being and dealing with challenges. I can advocate for myself in stressful situations. I can take the initiative to inform myself about controversial issues and take ethical positions. I take ownership of my goals, learning, and behavior. I act on what is best, over time, in terms of my goals and aspirations. I recognize the implications of my choices and consult with others who may be affected by my  decisions.. I can identify my potential as a leader in the communities I belong to. I sustain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Communicating

PROFILE FIVE
I communicate confidently, using forms and strategies that show attention to my audience and purpose.           

In discussions and conversations, I am focused and help to build and extend understanding. I am an engaged listener; I ask thought-provoking questions when appropriate and integrate new information. I can create a wide range of communications that feature powerful images and words, and I identify ways to change my communications to be effective for different audiences. I use my understanding of the role and impact of story to engage my audiences in making meaning. I acquire information about complex and specialized topics from various sources, synthesize and present it with thoughtful analysis.

Communicating

PROFILE SIX
I communicate with intentional impact, in well-constructed forms that are effective in terms of my audience and in relation to my purpose.

I contribute purposefully to discussions and conversations. I synthesize, deepen, and transform my own and others’ thinking. I can weave multiple messages into my communications; I understand that my audience will use their own knowledge and experiences in making meaning. I show understanding and control of the forms and technologies I use; I can assess audience response and draw on a repertoire of strategies to increase my intended impact. I can acquire, critically analyze, and integrate well-chosen information from a range of sources.

Creative Thinking

PROFILE FOUR
I can get new ideas or reinterpret others’ ideas in novel ways.

I get ideas that are new to my peers. My creative ideas are often a form of self-expression for me. I have deliberate strategies for quieting my conscious mind (e.g., walking away for a while, doing something relaxing, being deliberately playful), so that I can be more creative. I use my experiences with various steps and attempts to direct my future work.