Special education support
Poetry reached my students.
Poetry was within my students.
Poetry is within every human being.
- JoAnn Flynn
I discovered the transformative power of poetry and the expressive arts during the 12 years while I taught emotionally disturbed special education students in a clinical program within the Connecticut Public Schools. Many children that I taught had emotional wounds, were victims of abuse, and were struggling. Poetry reached my students. Poetry was within my students. Poetry is within every human being.
As I facilitated poetry therapy with special needs students, I found it most valuable to use a multimodal approach providing my students with art, music, movement and hands-on experiences such as cooking, gardening and community-based projects to inspire their writing. The poetry that the children produced after such projects was rich and beautiful. Self-awareness, insight and healing took place through poetry projects that turned grieving into giving by reaching out into the community.
There is nothing more rewarding than watching the creative process unfold in individuals who have given up or are stuck in patterns of low self esteem. Just like tender seedlings, our poems and art must be nurtured and lovingly cared for with encouragement and hope. I have had the great honor of bearing witness to the healing power of poetry and art within a variety of special populations. It has been deeply moving for me to assist emotionally disturbed children in writing their first poems and watch their eyes dance with joy for the first time, their sense of self-worth soaring.
In my work with individual children I recognize the benefit of expressive arts and poetry as a bridge to opening educational success. Children can access emotional literacy through words, symbols and materials that make meaningful connections in home, school and community.
As I facilitated poetry therapy with special needs students, I found it most valuable to use a multimodal approach providing my students with art, music, movement and hands-on experiences such as cooking, gardening and community-based projects to inspire their writing. The poetry that the children produced after such projects was rich and beautiful. Self-awareness, insight and healing took place through poetry projects that turned grieving into giving by reaching out into the community.
There is nothing more rewarding than watching the creative process unfold in individuals who have given up or are stuck in patterns of low self esteem. Just like tender seedlings, our poems and art must be nurtured and lovingly cared for with encouragement and hope. I have had the great honor of bearing witness to the healing power of poetry and art within a variety of special populations. It has been deeply moving for me to assist emotionally disturbed children in writing their first poems and watch their eyes dance with joy for the first time, their sense of self-worth soaring.
In my work with individual children I recognize the benefit of expressive arts and poetry as a bridge to opening educational success. Children can access emotional literacy through words, symbols and materials that make meaningful connections in home, school and community.