During their poetry unit, Mr. Capps' English II classes met outside on a crisp autumn day, to study the Wordsworth poem, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," a timeless poem inspired by the poet's discovery of daffodils along a lake. During a close reading of the poem, the class discussed its relevancy and the importance of beholding the beauty of nature and the fleeting essence of impactful moments. Following the Wordsworth poem, Mr. Capps challenged his students to take a walk around the school yard with heightened senses and awareness of nature's beauty. Students took notes of their observations, then later created their own nature-inspired poems. Student poems were shared in class, with the poetry unit culminating with a showcase of student work in a special class called The Poetry Cafe.
"It's fascinating that so many students begin the poetry unit with somewhat of a hatred for something they don't really understand. We must always be careful not to quickly judge something or someone we don't truly know," said Mr. Capps. "But seeing so many of their opinions being transformed as they discover what poetry really is - an opportunity to arrive at a shared human experience through different vehicles of verse - that's one of my favorite things about teaching," he continued. Mr. Capps' students not only gained an understanding and appreciation for poetry throughout their unit, but became young poets themselves, demonstrating what he called, "a satisfying level of content mastery."