I remember discovering Shel Silverstein’s A Light in the Attic as an Elementary student and realizing poetry did not have to be boring or sad or hard to understand. Instead, his work made me laugh out loud and sparked my interest in humorous poetry. As an educator one of my primary goals is to help my students learn to enjoy reading and I feel Silverstein is a great author to introduce as a part of this initiative.
Silverstein on Prezi
I didn’t know much about Shel Silverstein until your Prezi and found many interesting things about him. I really enjoyed the background you wrote about him, specifically, that he started drawing in his teens because he was not very popular with the girls. That really made me laugh. I appreciated how you portrayed him as not only an author but also a poet, compose, illustrator, etc. I would like to use Shel Silverstein in my classroom but my question for you is, do you think parents would be upset that, even though you may think its appropriate, that you are using his texts in your classroom that contain this “deeper, darker subtext”?
I enjoyed reading Shel Silverstiens books as a child but I did not realize he wore so many different hats. You did a great job at incorporating his work into your presentation and this would be a great introduction and transition for your lesson. You included many great resources for teachers and I think it is important that you brought up the topic of his dark writing. It made me wonder if students would be able to pick up on that subtext. I know in my elementary school some parents did have a problem with his writing so it is definitely important to feel it out first before using it in the classroom. I would use your presentation as a resource in my class.
I think it’s important to evaluate the specific poem you are using and how that fits into what your students have experienced and how they think about the world. If you are prepared with answers to questions or topics for discussion that will keep the theme light and appropriate I think most of his work could be used in the classroom without creating controversy or upsetting parents/students.