Mentor Text: the series of poems about turning different ages from Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renee Watson
Techniques:
- Memoir
Background –
This post almost didn’t happen. Between different events, field trips and weather closures, I’m in one of those times where as a teacher you feel absolutely overwhelmed and ineffective. I’m pretty flexible, but we’re off even my forgiving pace.
Those storm days and my insomnia have given me a lot of time to read though, so I have something to share. I saw a couple of folks on my socials singing the praises of Renee Watson’s new book Black Girl You Are Atlas, and lo and behold, I was able to get it from my library.
For anyone working with young people, it is a rich source of poetic mentor texts. Watson’s book is a wonderful exploration of identity, race and femininity through poetry. (My current feelings about time and pacing won’t let me think about crafting collages in class to accompany the writing like in the book, but they’re beautiful.)
There are a number of little series throughout the book where she revisits an idea. The series that I’ve shared with you is about reflecting on what happens as you turn various ages. Having recently wrapped a course where we did memoir writing in shorter bursts, I was really drawn to this series, and think it makes a wonderful mentor text set for classroom use. (My apologies for the incomplete set here, apparently I forgot to collect ‘Turning Seventeen.’)
How we might use this text:
Memoir – I love when a mentor text set has a unifying thread, but isn’t a collection of things that are exactly the same. Each of these poems has something unique to it – length or form differ. Though the core idea is the same – capturing a moment from the time when she was changing age – Watson approaches each of these captures differently. This gives us what a mentor text set can offer – options. Maybe our writers who aren’t as verbose, or willing to write, will choose the shortest piece. Perhaps others will choose the reflection on the world over the reflection on self. A mentor text set offers options and inspiration that meets different needs and abilities.
I also like when a single writer gives you a mentor text set that has some variety in it. This models for our writers that one need not write the same all the time. There can be ebbs and flows in our writing, in our content and in our output.
Though, as I stated above, I’m feeling a bit discombobulated in my teaching life these days, I’m making sure I share with you this week because having a deep reservoir of things to draw upon makes the frustrating time in your teaching life manageable. If this is a hard week, and you’re not sure what you’re doing to finish it out, this might be your lesson plan. Or maybe it becomes a part of your next unit. Or maybe, like me, you’re filing it for next year, because it will add to something you’ve recently finished. And as I finish this, the sense of accomplishment has dropped my anxiety a very welcome tiny bit.
What are your favourite mentor text sets? Do you have other “birthday” texts that we could add to this set?
Leave a comment below or find me on Twitter (x) @doodlinmunkyboy!
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