Poets-in-the-Schools • Program Testimonials

It [Poets-in-the-Schools] is a tremendous gift that you give, over and over, to thousands of adults and teens. There isn’t a "thank you" which is adequate for such generosity.

Julie C. Hasted, Santa Fe High School Teacher

Feedback Fall 2011

The PITS program is an essential part of our curriculum. Having the poets come in and work with our students has been very successful for the last 4 years. Students have been eager to learn about poetry because of these wonderful professionals. I have especially enjoyed having strong male role models like Danny and Manny. Having these strong individuals introduce poetry to our male students has proven to motivate them. I have noticed that the boys in the classroom respond to these powerhouse men, and when I follow up with poetry lessons, the students, both male and female, are eager to learn.

I teach poetry to my students and it is helpful to have outside influences come in and reinforce what I have been teaching. Many times you have students question why they need to learn about poetry. Having individual professionals come in and present their own work hits home for our students. They see the relevance of poetry and how it affects their lives. Having these professionals come in and work with us has been an important part of my curriculum. I hope to see this program not only continue but to grow throughout the Santa Fe Public Schools. I believe that every student in the public schools should have the opportunity to work with PITS.

- Theresa Anaya Burney, Teacher, Capshaw Middle School

All of my 120 10th grade students had the opportunity to work with Manuel Gonzales. For at least half of my students this was their first experience working with a poet. Most of their previous exposure to poetry had simply been out of a textbook with no real connection to the emotion of a performance. When Manny starts his 3-days, he spends the first class period focusing on "exposure", sharing his and other poet's work. The students were speechless! The emotion projected from Manny is powerful and students who normal want to close their eyes and take a nap, were wide-awake and alert. They were taking the poetry in! The next step is writing. Students wrote at least three of their own original poems, with guidance from Manny. Pencils moved quickly over paper and their was silence as students and reflected. The final day working with Manny is the most powerful. Students shared at least one of their original pieces in front of the class. There were poems about alcoholism, parent abandonment, cultural pride, funny times. Poems from the heart. There were tears and smiles. EVERY student shared something, even the most shy. After my last class on the last day, a young man came to me and said he had never experience anything so powerful in a class setting before. He had transferred to Santa Fe High from a private school and this was his first experience with feeling something in a class. He said he was moved by the experience of hearing his classmates and that he hoped there would be more opportunity for that kind of work in the future.

I have had the pleasure of working with poets for the past four years and as a veteran teacher I must say it is one of the powerful lessons of the school year. Students remember. I remember. The poet remembers. Everyone is affected.

- Mariah Runyan, Teacher, Santa Fe High School

I had Manuel Gonzales come to my class for 3 days, to do his poetry inspiration with my students at Ortiz Middle School. He has an unmatched ability to cut through student resistance and bring out inspired works from them. He has developed a well balanced program that combines structured and guided writing with free form expression, eliciting experience-based writing from the students. The writing opportunity provided a safe outlet for the kids to express their hopes and fears, present and past, and the presentations were heart wrenching. In each class, several readings provoked tears of empathy and tears of release. It was awesome. Manuel is remarkable, and the Poets-in-the School program is worthy of great praise.

Additionally, I would like to commend Alex Traube whose tireless efforts provide a smoothly run program that is easy and a pleasure to deal with. Thank you. With great appreciation,

- Irene Mayer-Feldberg, Teacher, Ortiz Middle School

Once again, after two years of poets and writers from the Poets-in-the-schools program visiting in my English classes at Santa Fe high, it has been a definite success! The positive impact on students, in terms of inspiring them to continue writing, invoking their creative and poetic voices, provoking profound ideas and unique ways in which to express them...has been, as always, a wonderful journey and an outcome that will last throughout their lives. It was a special treat to have Danny Solis in both my Poetry and regular English classes, where the spirit of the global uprisings around the world both in past and current movements helped trigger the youthful voice of justice and revelation within a large bulk of their written work. Students' were excited to write, share, perform and even take their poetry to a broader, real-world audience. Some students participated in the Thousand Poets for Change events, some used their poetry to testify at a public comment session regarding the repeal of cap and trade laws on carbon emission. The personal and political that Danny inspired in many students, was cultivated in so many different ways. The Poetry class created lesson plans that they will use this spring for teaching their own peers and mentoring two elementary school classes in poetry after Spring break.

I was also fortunate to host Henry Shukman in my creative writing class, where we explored a variety of genres within poetry and prose. As a professional poet and novelist, Henry brought so much of his expertise to help guide a variety of writers within their specific writing genre and skill. We explored critical analysis of written pieces from renowned authors as a start, then followed by journeying through stream of consciousness writing to sharing and editing students' original work covering a lot of ground for the large range of student writers. Henry was so methodical yet flexible about the structure of the classes, being sensitive to and gauging students' needs. His positive energy and encouragement, prompted many students to comment on how much their writing had improved even over the course of five sessions. Henry also shared his expertise in writing and literal meditation with the class in order to give the students tools to focus and find their inner inspiration and voice. We intend to take a class on a field trip with a mini writing and meditation workshop, which students have found to be both useful and inspirational. I cannot imagine teaching without this program to enrich and supplement my curricula and I am so grateful for all the poets and coordination from Alex!

- Tamela Harkins, Teacher, Santa Fe High School

I was not prepared for the power of Manny’s poetry workshop. It changed for the better the lives of all of us. There were tears and laughter and everything in between. I have had PITS in my classroom several times and always it is a powerful, affirming experience. The students so desperately need this sort of attention, and I was also inspired. At a time when I was low, it gave me a positive lift, and reminded me that we (I) can make a difference despite wasteful mandates. (Pearson) PITS is energizing and helps everyone involved. I was amazed at what my students wrote and what they learned in a short amount of time. The program is solid gold, no, platinum.

- Martye Einson, Teacher, Santa Fe High School

It is oftentimes rather difficult for a teacher to sit back and let another person teach the class, however, that is not the case with Mr. Danny Solis, of the Poets-in-the-Schools Program. Never before have I seen so many students completely engaged, accepting, and excited for Danny’s next visit. Attendance improved when the kids knew that Danny would be in the classroom. In fact for several weeks after the program ended, my students were still asking if there was any way I could get Danny back into the classroom. For the past six years the PITC program has been a highlight for me, and my students. Each year I excitedly explained the program to my students and some of them were skeptical at first. It only took one session to put my students at ease and get them involved in writing poetry.

Danny set simple boundaries, recited poetry, introduced appropriate styles of poetry, and showed that he truly cared about my students as individuals. Every student participated by writing poetry, interacting with Danny, and presenting their poetry to the rest of the class. Some students have struggles, for instance one students’ father died last year and he is still grieving. Danny provided an outlet for him to write about his feelings. Another student wrote poetry about being bullied. Danny and her written poem validated her feelings. One day a fight broke out in the hallway and when the students came to class they were quite upset. Danny recognized this and took the opportunity to help the students work through their emotions. I was grateful that he was aware that the students couldn’t work until they had a chance to discuss what they had witnessed.

Over the years I have laughed with the poets ( I have had four different professional poets), laughed at some of the exquisite corpse poetry, and sometimes cried after I heard students share their poetry with the class. The "I Come From..." and the "You Don’t Have to..." have been some of the most powerful and successful poems my students have written. On the light side, the haiku, senryo, and other forms of poetry have been refreshing.

I am truly grateful that Alex Traube introduced this amazing program to the public schools. Meeting the professional poets, watching them and Capshaw students perform at a poetry slam at the Lensic Theater, and realizing the power of poetry, has been an incredible experience for over six hundred students and me who have participated in this program! Yes, the Poets- in- the- Schools- Program has touched that many of my students alone, not to mention other classes at Capshaw Middle School as well as other schools. In the eighteen years that I have been teaching, I do not know of any other program that has reached this many students. Alex and the poets have put so much time and effort into the program and I hope with all my heart that it will continue this spring and in upcoming years.

Thank you Alex and all of the poets that worked so hard to make this program and success.

- June Parnes, Teacher, Capshaw Middle School

Alex requested that I write a little something to explain the impact the PITS program has had on students in my classroom... But, how do I explain something that you almost have to see to believe? Briefly, the program turns students into writers; it changes lives. I have said before it is almost like taking a field trip without leaving the room. The influx of new energy, teaching students to write from the heart, is transformative. After having the poets in my room for just three days, my students will identify themselves as writers and poets. Many students will get poetry journals and keep writing independently through the year. As their teacher, I can then build on this foundation of writing for the rest of the year.

I have had the privilege of working with the PITS program for five years. When I speak to former students, they recall working with the poets as a highlight of their year. Which leads me to believe, this program sinks in. It gets to the core of student insecurities about writing and speaking and teaches them a better way of being. It teaches them intangible values such as pride and compassion. Students in my classes write multiple poems and all students (115+) stand up and read at least one poem. When students read their poems and I hear the beauty and power that comes from them writing about their experiences...well, let us just say that most years it brings me to tears. That is why I said before you have to see it to believe it.

It is my sincere hope that the PITS program will continue indefinitely. I cannot sing its praises enough!

- Sue Nichols, Teacher, Capshaw Middle School

Feedback From Teachers

Blaise Bickett, Santa Fe High School
I want to thank you for all you've done and do to make this all possible. The PITS program continues to be a tremendous resource for the most authentic student self-expression and a deeper understanding of poetic forms and devices. I am always amazed and humbled to hear the quality of thought and imagery the poets inspire my students to reveal in their writing. Even a student who loudly proclaimed his hatred of poetry wrote a very touching piece, which he proudly read to the rest of the class. My students, who often don't remember their reading from the night before, know the poets and look forward to their visits. The PITS program is a consistent highlight in our year and truly enriches my students' education.

Joan Kendrick, Santa Fe High School
Again, this year in PITS, I have had the opportunity to see and appreciate another side of my students. Their creativity and use of language always amazes me. And the students who shine are often not the students who usually excel in the expository writing that we do in class, but they are the students who may not have received accolades for writing previously. The program helps their self-esteem and helps me to recognize and appreciate their talents. The program also reinforces my teaching of poetic techniques and poetry appreciation. It helps students to find their poetic voice and to see that poetry is not just in books but is all around them and inside them.

Julie Hasted, Santa Fe High School
What can I say about Idris [Poet Idris Goodwin]? His energy and enthusiasm are contagious. His ability to speak to the students at their level draws in almost all students, even the most reluctant to participate. Idris catches the students’ attention immediately and demands it from them if it waivers later on. He uses a format that they are familiar with and that they like—hip-hop / rap—but he uses it to discuss issues that most students would never have considered as possible topics for rap. Even though he speaks to them at their level on one hand, he pushes them past their normal comfort zones at the same time: his poetic themes are deep and universal, his vocabulary in instruction is appropriately challenging, he expects students to write great stuff and so they do. He engenders an atmosphere of friendliness, respect, and acceptance, which makes it comfortable for students to share what they have written. His lessons are structured enough to give students a place to start, but loose enough so as to not trap them or hold them back. My students were saddened by the ending of our three sessions. They want more. It’s rare to hear such a thing in an English class these days. But the poets reach students in a different way than our other work. PITS really gets students thinking and writing—they think about the words they choose, about how they phrase their ideas, about whether or not their messages are getting across.

Anita Salazar, Santa Fe High School
I do want to let you know that I thought the visits we had by Madi Sato, our poet in residence, were invaluable. She was sincere and her presence was well received in my classroom. She shared with us her poetry, her songs, both in English and Japanese, her understanding of what poetry is and how to begin to speak in poetic language, and probably most importantly, she shared with us her life and life experience and how they are reflected in her poetry. Madi is a single mother. This classroom serves teen parents and pregnant teens. Some have partners, some do not. They did write and I thought their imagery was both powerful and rich in emotion and culture. Madi was courageous in speaking and sharing her own losses both in poetry and recollections. I noted that that gave license to these students to write about their own losses. To be able to satisfy most of their academic needs in a small setting we use an online program with me to assist when they have difficulties or need more instruction. It was so nice to have the multifaceted interaction we had with Madi and each other. We were all grateful to have her, and the richness of her poetry, and song that she brought with her.

Craig Castleman, Santa Fe High School
"I wanted to thank you again for connecting my ESL classes with the Poets in the Schools program. To start out the class, he [Poet Adan Baca] performed a miracle: he read a poem so wonderful that Wilkin Flores–who always leans his chair back on two legs and watches the world through narrowed lids, rarely speaking a word, plunked his chair down, leaned forward, listened intently, and then asked Adam a question about love poetry. The whole class went silent and stared in amazement. Wilkin! He’s on his third love poem now, with more to come. Word has spread and my other classes are all looking forward to meeting their poets and witnessing miracles of their own. This is just what our students need most: authentic enrichment in the classroom."

Julie Hasted, Santa Fe High School
The lessons themselves have been wonderful. He [Poet Orlando White] has taken some of Arthur Sze’s influence, mentoring and teaching methods and adapted them for this purpose. Because of Sze’s emphasis on randomness and spontaneity, the activities are new to the students and seem quite unusual and even odd to them at first. However, that also keeps them focused on doing what he asks them to because they don’t hit that point where they start thinking that they know what comes next or that they know exactly how it’s going to turn out. That means they really just have to go with the process. I thought it was awesome and even entertaining—some of the more know-it-all type students get frustrated when they can’t predict the whole hour within the first fifteen minutes. HA! Both days every class had several students who REALLY liked what they wrote—even if they didn’t have a clue what it might mean—and liked it enough that right then they wanted to tell me that they liked it or they actually remembered to tell me the next day.

Marcy Slaughter, De Vargas Middle School
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to express my appreciation for Poets-in-the-school. Danny has been wonderful; he a great poet and also a wonderful teacher. He has interacted with the students so well and have answered any of their questions and explained every topic that has come up in class. He has been so open with his life and he is such a great role model for the students. He has great discipline skills that the students have responded to well. All of my students think he is so cooooool, they cannot wait until he is back with us again. We were wondering on Friday if Danny could stay 6th period, our last period of the day, and do a slam for all of the students to end this school year. Danny was going to talk to you about it too. I thought that since DVMS did not get a poet for the other 8th grade teacher, that this might be doable and there would be enough funding. Again, thank you so much for this opportunity to have Danny in my classroom. He is always welcome.

June Parnes, Capshaw Middle School
P.I.T.S. was far more than I anticipated: Danny Solis and Idris Goodwin were perfect for my 8th grade students. They knew exactly what my students needed above and beyond poetry. Danny and Idris showed genuine care for my students, shared their own poetry, taught poetry, and encouraged my students to share what they had written. They presented themselves in a professional manner and showed the kids that they really cared about them. Danny and Idris knew each student's name by the second day, established a relationship with them, and helped them to understand that boys and girls can write poetry, it's ok to have writer's block, and that work in progress is a good thing. When students were shy about reading aloud, Danny and Idris coaxed them into sharing yet recognized when students did not want to share for personal reasons. I read the thank you letters my students wrote and some of them made me cry. I didn't realize the feelings some of my students had toward writing, reading aloud, reading their personal poetry aloud, and the things they wrote in their poems; love, loneliness, anger, to be proud of their heritage, feelings of inadequacy, as well as nonsense and fun. Another thing that impressed me is the next day almost every single student asked, "Are Danny (the pirate) and Idris coming today?" I guess they didn't believe that we only had these two awesome poets (and more) for only 3 days. I truly hope we will be able to see them in the spring. Thank you, Alex, for believing in this program!

Mariah Runyon, Capshaw Middle School
Working with Poets-in-the-classroom was a great experience for both my students and myself. For many of my 8th grade students, it was their first time hearing a poet read his or her own poems. Most of my students have only studied poetry through literature anthologies. Poetry was artificial and not real to them. Being able to hear poets read their own creations was significant because the students heard the emotion, sadness, anger, excitement that the poets felt, and it struck a cord with my 8th graders. In addition to hearing poetry, students wrote at least 3 poems with Manuel Gonzalez. EVERY single student wrote. The final day with the poet EVERY one of my students, from the shyest to the most dramatic, read at least one poem in from of the class. The pride on their faces was priceless; students accomplished something, and they knew it! Students were so moved that Nancy David, our health counselor, heard students talking about Manuel, and she has now scheduled a day with him to work with her 8th grade boys' group. I 100% support this program and believe it is an asset to the language arts curriculum and to our students' self-esteem and desire to write, write, write.

Martye Einson, Alameda Middle School
Rachelle is a magical presence and the poems are making us cry.

Feedback From Poets

Rachelle Mechenbier, Poet-in-the-Schools
RE: Martye Einson at Alameda Middle School: The teacher is actually self-publishing the students work. She was so excited and helped the students get really excited as well. Although the day was incredibly long, this was the best PITS experience I have had so far. The mix of her openness, preparation, and the hearts and willingness to experiment of the students, it was really an incredible time.
RE: Laura Carthy at Capital High School: Ms. Carthy is a total pleasure to work with. She always writes with the kids and respects them, so they write and respect her and the visiting poet. Even with difficult sophomores, we had a high participation rate and had some breakthroughs with tough students. Exemplary!

Rosalía Tríana, Poet-in-the-Schools
RE: Sonya Martínez, Alameda Middle School: Wow! I was at Alameda a couple of years ago, and it was awful then felt like a miserable prison. Yesterday, from the moment I walked in, I could feel the difference ~ the kids were happy, the teachers were cool, the process worked . . .it was great! Then, in the middle of my third class, a "teacher" walked into the room to observe, and I realized I knew her. She (Robin) is the wife of a very good friend (Joey Chavez) that has done brilliant theatre work at SFHS. When we spoke afterward, it turned out . . .Robin's the principal!! This is her second year, and I'd say she's doing a great job! Sonya, my teacher, is also great, and we had three wonderful classes ~ I think she was a little surprised by some of the students who responded . . . she also said they loved Adan! I would like to get them to write a poem/letter to the future, to their children, telling them what it felt like to go through this election, and see the world change. We'll write tomorrow, then revise . . . of course, I'll include lots of exercises and tricks to get the writing to flow, but they already wrote some cool stuff on the first day.

Danny Solís, Poet-in-the-Schools
RE: Theresa Burney, Capshaw Middle School: there was one girl who wrote an amazing 'I come from' poem in Spanish as well as a great Haiku. One of the lines from her 'Icf' poem reads, "Yo vengo de el calor de la soledad": "I come from the heat of solitude". The interesting thing is that her family is Jehovah’s Witnesses and her father places priority on Bible studies over schoolwork. i think with the right kind of nurturing she could become a great writer. How we go about cultivating her talent, given her circumstances, is the tricky part. Ms. Burney is very enthusiastic about being a teacher and cares deeply about her students. She is an excellent teacher and an excellent fit for PITS.

Idris Goodwin, Poet-in-the-Schools
RE: Sue Nichols 7th grade class at Capshaw Middle School
wanted to let you know that capshaw rocks.
i love this age group and sue's [Sue Nichols] six period kids
are like some doogie howser genius future leaders of free world types
i cant wait to send you some of these poems a couple of these 7th graders wrote
in like 10 minutes - HO-LEE SHIT!
keep ya posted

Joan Logghe, Poet-in-the-Schools
RE: Capshaw Middle School
So, I was in the bathroom stall at Albertson's and I hear a conversation between two girls.
Girl 1: Our poet was so funny. People cried in our class, they were laughing so hard.
Girl 2: I got extra credit. I read first. Our poet was Japanese.
Girl 1: Our poet was black. I didn't like my poem. He was so cool.
I came out of the stall and said: I'm a poet with that program too. Instead of the usual shrink and skulk response, the two girls lit up as if the most wonderful thing was to have a silver haired poet emerge from the stall at Albertson's the one on Zia Road. They said they went to Capshaw, with smiles on our faces, we all went on about our biz.
Respectfully submitted from La Puebla ---- JL


And there’s more from Idris...
unreal!
the 7th grade gave me these two big hand crafted poems
on big orange sheets of paper. The did the aliteration exercise with the letters of my name.
they also gave me a capshaw falcons t-shirt
june and sue gave me a handwritten thank you card
and a starbucks gift card
thats way more gratitude than I got when i performed at YALE!
Of course when Mrs Parnes the 8th grade teacher saw this
she said, we're going to do something too. I see a trend developing!
BTW she has the evals
God bless PITS and God Bless Capshaw
eternally grateful for all the opportunities you provide.
Madi Sato, Poet-in-the-Schools
RE: Capshaw Middle School: I was a little nervous going in but also extremely fired up to fuel, inspire and get the kids interested in poetry. The first day we worked on expressing where each person comes from/what makes them who they are. Writing free form style....no rules except to be as expressive as possible. Such a diverse response from everyone....some students were very imaginative and others were more literal. I opened the class with a poem I wrote about where I come from.....then later I shared with them how the spoken word poem became a song....they really responded to the song and I held their attention after singing to them.... We talked about how poets have a big responsibility to choose words with deep awareness because words have the power to heal, transform, as well as, hurt or pollute the world...We talked about metaphor, simile and sensorial imagery and I asked them to try to work in some of those if they wanted to. But I really wanted them to feel free and inspired. Oh, they were great and brave in sharing their writing...We have started using call and response to learn to use our voice and breath when reciting poetry too. I am so happy to be a part of PITS. I'm learning so much.

Manuel González, Poet-in-the-Schools
RE: Capshaw Middle School: Today was amazing!. The students are responsive and motivated to write. Today a seventh grade boy wrote a poem about his dead grandmother and broke down crying while he was reading it to the class. Everyone was affected. I'm sure Wednesday will be just as good!

Madi Sato, Poet-in-the-Schools
RE: Santa Fe High School: I've been planning to write to you to let you know how my 3rd week of teaching is going. First of all, I had a class of all pregnant teens. I was so humbled and felt honored to work with them. It was a very personal class....All hispanic....They were so tired and hungry....but they wrote. They are so beautiful and young and in a different realm than any kids I've worked with so far. They have experienced more than most teens by becoming mom's at such a young age. I loved the teacher, Anita Salazar in that class. She was so supportive.
The 2nd and 3rd period classes were all at-risk kids in a separate far off building from the main school. When I walked in they were wild, cursing and a security guard was patting one guy down. Before I said a word, I did a traditional Japanese chant, which immediately quieted the room. I spoke to them from my background of attending 2 years in Santa Fe High, growing up below the poverty line. I told them about living in the Deep South, where I went to an all Caucasian school where no one looked like me and I was made fun of. I feel so privileged to be in both the mother's and the at-risk kids classes. It was exhilarating and I was amazed at some of their writing.

Orlando White, Poet-in-the-Schools
RE: Julie Hasted, Santa Fe High School: Julie Hasted is a dedicated teacher of English, and nourishes and challenges her students. She was helpful in re-identifying, re-assuring them of talks I gave on poetics and writing exercises. So by my next visit, students were a bit more prepared to engage the writing assignments and me as teacher of poetry.

Feedback From Students

Feedback from students is generally predictable. It is not easy to glean a comment, suggestion or observation that we’ve not already gotten or isn’t representative of the majority of students. Therefore one of our poets, Idris Goodwin, went over student evaluations, as well as the numerous thank-you letters Capshaw Middle School students wrote, and gather some quotes, but also identify thoughts and feelings we could safely ascribe to the program’s overall impact.

The following are Idris’ summary remarks:

1. Across the board, in all schools, kids responded positively to poets reciting poetry to them. Students enjoy being encouraged and allowed to express themselves. They responded well to the use of creative exercises that ask them to explore their cultures and backgrounds in addition to stream of consciousness, writing warm ups that promote trust in one’s thoughts and ideas. They also responded well to group writing exercises like the exquisite corpse. They want more time with poets and appreciate when a poet creates a positive and exciting vibe in the classroom. The best quote and insights came from the letters from Capshaw. We may consider the letter format as a great way to glean quotes and insights. Perhaps the final poetry prompt is for students to express their feelings towards the PITS experience.
2. The language arts evaluations—they are grade-specific and reflect the NM Content Standard & Benchmarks for Language Arts—resoundingly show that students do not know, the correct benchmark answers. I don’t know what this means but almost across the board those evaluations haven’t been filled in with a great deal of confidence.
3. The Spoken Word Skills Evaluations reflect, in terms of presentation techniques and the willingness to speak publicly, that there is an almost 50/50 split between students who respond well to encountering and wrestling with their stage fright, and many who would rather not share their work with everyone. This is an area I think we can improve in if there is some synergy in how poets help students present themselves publicly.
4. I think that what these evaluations reflect is that the model is working: students have broadened their perspective of what poetry is, who poetry is for, and who can create it. They also have unanimously been open to alternative teaching styles in their otherwise traditional classrooms. Many commented that they now see poetry as a viable profession. These evaluations also reflect that there is much that can be built upon in terms of writing and presentation craft, revision, and exploration.

• The resounding sentiment was that poetry is not just an arbitrary arrangement of words but a way to express one’s emotions, and ideas. Students also expressed that they learned that poetry comes in many different forms and doesn’t always have to rhyme. They cited such devices as metaphor, simile, and alliteration.
• Students enjoyed the "where I come" exercise, free-writing and writing poems about their friends.
• Several students also expressed that they now consider poetry as a legitimate way to make a living.
• Manny’s poems, beatbox w/ didgeridoo, and various woodwinds were big hits.
• Students appreciated Idris’ sense of humor, and poetry recitations, particularly the poems "the bucket" and "what is they feeding our kids."
• Students want Manny and Idris to come back in the spring.
• Students enjoyed hearing the poets use rhythm, rhyme, passion and excitement in their recitations. They responded well to humor, personality, knowledge and being able to relate to a poet because of how their culture, gender, and ethnicity was reflected in their poetry.
• Students appreciated feeling respected and encouraged by the poet.
• Overwhelmingly, students enjoyed freewriting, the "exquisite corpse" exercise, the "Where I Come" from exercise, The "shout outs" and "embodied" poetry.
• Students responded well to poets’ recitations, energy, humor and positive attitude.
• Students enjoyed exercises in which there was some element of collaboration with their peers; these including presenting/performing poems as part of small groups.
• Students enjoyed innovative exercises such as "exquisite corpse" and free writing.

• (Manuel) gave me confidence as a writer because he said I was a true poet. -Melody Hett
• I will always remember when I had to go in front of the class and I was nervous but Manuel encouraged me and it wasn’t that bad. -Andrea Castra
• I learned that you shouldn’t care if people won’t like your poem, just whether or not you think its good. I also learned how to stand up in front of everybody and read a personal poem or story. -Lauren Schwartz
• I learned that you could make a living on poetry. -Joseph Roybal
• I will always remember going up in front of the class and spitting out my poem. -Michelle Parry
• I learned to write poems and not be afraid to read what I wrote. -Benjamin Montaño
• I went home and read my poems to parents and they loved them. --Elizabeth Padilla
• I felt like I had to climb up a tall mountain and someone helped me straight to the top. That’s how I when (Manuel) read his poems, -Jesus Diaz
• The best part of this was that Manuel was Chicano. -Ivan Olivas
• Thank you for sending a Chicano because (I can relate to) Hispanic/Latino culture. -Miguel Reyes
• I used to write poems, but I stopped for a while. Manuel got me back into writing poems because he inspired me! -Melinda Martinez
• I learned that you just have to trust what you are writing. -Anthony Maese
• Manny was so cool. As cool as the other side of the pillow. -Gabe Koons
• I never used to like to write poetry, but now I like to express my feelings and thoughts. I loved to hear the poetry written by my classmates. I will always remember my experience with poets-in-the classrooms. -Krystal Debruyn
• I loved hearing all the poems my classmates wrote. -Hannah Hargrove
• What I liked most about writing poems was being encouraged to read them out loud and I was kind of nervous, but after I read my poem people started clapping and that made me feel good. -Matthew Alexander Howard
• I learned that poetry doesn’t have one specific definition. There are so many different kinds of poetry. -Alira Raymer
• I will always remember looking through the dictionary for words to describe my best friend and hearing what she wrote about me. -"Your possible future poet" Nadine Grantham-Phillips
• (Idris) allowed us to bond more as a class. (Mr.Traube) you have added another great experience to my life. I saw you come in on the last day of Idris being here and if I ever see you again on the street I will greet you. -Jacob Furgason
• I give your organization a thumbs up. -Emily Maxon

• It is a great gift to be able to write poetry. -Stephan
• What I liked best was trying to find out the story behind the poem. -Robert
• What I liked best was working with writing that isn’t forced like schoolwork. -Chris Sisneros
• The best part was listening to the poems of others. -Marissa Padilla
• It was nice to have a break from our normal class schedule. -Ricardo Bustillos
• The best part of this workshop was hearing our poet’s poetry, making our poetry, and reading our poetry. -Valerie Silva
• I really enjoyed writing the poem about my family. -Andrea
• The best part of this workshop was listening and learning new ideas of how to write more effectively. -Penuel Bickley Student Quotes About Poets-in-the-Schools at Santa Fe High School
• Fun but educational. --Jimena Antuna
• This is a fun way to learn to speak in front of people. -Emily Innis
• Thank you for enriching my high school experience. -Jess Stultz
• The best part of the workshop was the attitude the poets brought. It was very awakening and it’s a kind of personality you want to be around. -Jordan Fuentes
• I have always dreaded and disliked poetry but this workshop made me appreciate and enjoy it more. -Claire Bartlett
• I hate writing poetry but this was the most fun poetry class I have ever had. -Keyla Romero
• The best part of the workshop was reading my poetry out loud. I like the nervous feeling and then the applause after. -Jonathan
• What I’ve learned will be very helpful for writing essays. -Jesus Veleta