Bob Jones participates in the popular Poetry Out Loud competition since 2009 and English teacher Mrs. Dauma helped her students prepare for the competition by having a Poetry Café. A Poetry Café is exactly what it sounds like – steaming coffee, hot chocolate, yummy pastries, and even better poems.

Mrs. Dauma gave her opinion on how she feels about poetry in everyday class assignments and whether or not it is beneficial to students. She stated, “Reciting poetry out loud helps students to understand more about the poet’s message and about the craft of the poetry itself.” Her students even help her get the classroom ready with lights and jazz music and all the other essentials to have an amazing Poetry Café.

Mrs. Dauma’s classroom representatives were Jazi Atassi, Preston Adams, and Nysherea Vereen. After being asked why these select students were chosen, Mrs. Dauma stated her answer. “I don’t really pose this as a competition; rather I offer the opportunity to move on to the school Poetry Out Loud competition to those who do an exceptional job and who have an interest and motivation to learn a second poem to recite at that event.” This class was definitely in it more for the fun of it than the competitive side of it all.

When asked how she felt about the overall experience of the Poetry Café and whether or not she would do it again, Mrs. Dauma answered, “I believe it was a good experience. I plan to keep doing the Poetry Out Loud competition and Poetry Cafés, even though they take a bit of planning and a willingness to have a bit of a mess for a day or so. Overall, I think it was a fun way to involve students in something that helps them appreciate poetry and challenges them to memorize and interpret a poem in such a way that honors the craft of the poet.”

Putting poetry in classrooms not only benefits students in a healthy way, but is also a nice and easy way for the students and teachers to bond and do something fun together.