Pulitzer Center Update October 16, 2023
Processing the News Through Poetry: Teachers Share
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Students are invited to enter poems written in response to news stories to the Fighting Words Poetry Contest. This workshop guides teachers and students in how to craft a successful entry.
Every year, students around the world participate in the Pulitzer Center's Fighting Words Poetry Contest by considering how journalism and poetry can be effective responses to current events and writing poems in conversation with underreported news stories. Student poets choose a Pulitzer Center-supported news story and write a poem that highlights their personal connections to the global issues explored in the story. In the 2023 contest, we received a record-breaking 1,675 entries written by students in 13 countries, 36 U.S. states, and the District of Columbia. You can access the winning poems here!
Many students enter the contest as part of a class project. How do the teachers of prizewinning poets prepare their students to engage meaningfully and creatively with global news stories, and what impact do they see in their classrooms? We invited three teachers who have been teaching Fighting Words for multiple years to share their experiences and tips for educators interested in guiding their students through the contest. The following Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.
Janelle Bence | High School Teacher | Texas
Why do you participate in the Fighting Words Poetry Contest?
Every year, when we, as a learning community, get to know one another and build culture in our class, I ask learners about their interests, concerns, talents, hopes, and dreams.
Since I teach ninth grade, this is a time when teens are really beginning to understand (or try to understand) who they are as part of their various communities. Students wonder about the world and its complex issues. Pulitzer Center’s Fighting Words Poetry Contest gives them an opportunity to choose a topic of interest and interact with the text in a meaningful way. It’s a wonderful chance to read, comprehend, question, and respond while using literacy skills they’ve developed all year long.
The contest asks students to connect with and respond to a news story through poetry. Why do you think it is valuable for students to explore current events and global issues in the classroom?
Learner choice is perhaps the most powerful strategy for student engagement. If you ask youth what they think is important, what’s on their mind, global issues come up almost as often as friends and family. Our youth have already lived through so many key historical events. The pandemic, for example, certainly has changed their lives, and maybe this is why they can’t help but feel connected to the world around them since they were forced to be separated from it for so long.
Fighting Words lets students know that people do care about what they think, what they’ve learned, and what they imagine the world can be.
Janelle Bence
As some of the issues are real sources of worry for our youth, we can’t ignore their interests nor deny them the exploration of said topics. Fighting Words goes an extra step: learners can respond to these events and have a chance to share their voices beyond the classroom. Our students want to be heard.
How has the contest supported your goals as an educator?
I strive for practical, authentic applications of student learning. Fighting Words lets students know that people do care about what they think, what they’ve learned, and what they imagine the world can be. Learners step up their efforts because they know they have a wider audience. I am so thankful Fighting Words exists.
How have your students responded to the contest?
A sign that deeper learning is happening is when students are willing to step out of their comfort zones and iterate; they want to make progress. Young poets in my class asked for several rounds of feedback for their responses. It was exhilarating to see them lean on one another for ideas and suggestions. As they composed draft after draft, it was rewarding to see them understand that thoughtful work requires drafting and revisiting. It has been invaluable to be able launch the contest with previous finalists from our school. (Fingers crossed this continues.) When they realize, they actually know the poets, their eyes widen, and it’s as if something shifts to a “let’s do this” attitude.
The only complaints were that learners wished they had more time and they wished they could include lines from other articles about the same topic. I may consider introducing Fighting Words a bit earlier as it does fit in with my year-long project.
What tips can you share with other educators interested in guiding their students through the contest?
Scaffolding and benchmarking the process is important. Learners need checkpoints along the way. Otherwise, they feel either overwhelmed or at a loss for what to do next. Here are some of the steps we use:
- Article choice and why. They need to be interested in the topic.
- Tell a partner what your article is about.
- Compose a draft using our poetry-writing process.
- Get feedback.
- Revise and edit.
- Repeat steps 3-5 as needed.
We participated in Fighting Words after a spoken word project so learners had resources and experience with writing poetry. If possible, let learners who choose the same article or similar topics discuss their understanding. Writing groups provide additional support. We compose on one document so we can keep all the versions in one spot. Poets can see how far their pieces have evolved and have previous ideas they may want to include all in one place.
Elizabeth Jorgensen | High School Teacher | Wisconsin
Why do you participate in the Fighting Words Poetry Contest?
I am always looking for authentic purposes for my students' work and a colleague shared the Pulitzer Center's contests with me. Because my colleague highly recommended the resources, website, and Fighting Words contest, I decided to participate. And I'm so glad I did. Each semester, students say this is one of their favorite assignments. Students say they enjoy writing about a topic that's important to them; they also enjoy submitting the piece to the annual contest and reading the award-winning pieces.
The contest asks students to connect with and respond to a news story through poetry. Why do you think it is valuable for students to explore current events and global issues in the classroom?
Students care about what is happening in their community and in the world. They want to be able to make a difference in their local and global communities. This contest is one way that students can share their voices with the world. This contest allows them to make a difference with their words.
Hearing student voices (that sound like them!) motivates my students…My creative writing students read the student poems on the Pulitzer Center's website and analyze them, not to copy them, but to be inspired by them and to realize what is possible with language or form or story or emotion.
Elizabeth Jorgensen
How has the contest supported your goals as an educator?
This contest provides an authentic purpose for my students' work. The previous winning examples with audio and visuals of students reading their award-winning poems are particularly engaging. Hearing student voices (that sound like them!) motivates my students. When my students hear other students reading their original poems, they think, I can do this too. Representation matters and having these resources are particularly helpful for students. My creative writing students read the student poems on the Pulitzer Center's website and analyze them, not to copy them, but to be inspired by them and to realize what is possible with language or form or story or emotion.
[Contest organizer] Hannah Berk led some of my classes through a poetry workshop. This also was a powerful and important experience. Students received feedback on their early drafts. They were also able to consider how perspective and voice impacted how their work was received. Hannah was affirming and encouraging. An ultimate professional! The students left the workshop motivated to continue to polish and perfect their poems.
How have your students responded to the contest?
Here is what some of my students said:
- My favorite assignment was the Pulitzer poem because I liked how we were able to be creative but had a place to start. The Pulitzer Center's contest made me think the most about how to use the few words that I have and make them more effective.
- I would say having a purpose for my writing encouraged me to go deeper with my thoughts and really dig out what I should include in my writing and what I should take out or replace with something deeper.
- Submitting to the Pulitzer Center's contest made me want to write in a more creative way and try new things and think outside the box.
- My favorite assignment was the Pulitzer poem because I liked basing my writing off of another creative piece.
- I liked how the Pulitzer Center contest allowed me to see different styles of poetry. It was enjoyable to learn new writing styles and then use them.
- The Pulitzer piece was my favorite because It was easy to understand and I had a plan to write the poem.
- I think submitting to the Pulitzer Center's contest elevated my writing because I knew that people outside of my English class were going to read my words.
What tips can you share with other educators interested in guiding their students through the contest?
Start with the purpose, the end goal. Then, work backwards, helping students to craft their poems.
I share the contest directions and poster with my students. Then we read and discuss the Pulitzer Center-supported news story “Let’s Make It Easier for Kids to Visit Incarcerated Parents” by Jaime Joyce and the poem “The Joy of Togetherness” by student poet Taylor Jamie Yarns. I then share poems written by students from my high school that have previously placed in the contest. Then I ask students to go to the Pulitzer Center’s website, find a story they want to work with (that they have a personal connection to!). Students create a new document and include a hyperlink to their chosen story in an epigraph (With lines from “Story title hyperlinked” by Journalist’s Name, a Pulitzer Center reporting project); highlight phrases they could use; explain the story they might tell; outline the point of their poem (emotion!) and how they'll structure their poem; and, if time permits, start a poem draft.
During the next class, I ask students to notice structure and story as they listen to the poem “A Father’s Nightmare” by student poet Victor Xia and “standstill” by student poet Miriam Alex. Students hand in their notes. Then, they use the remaining class time to work on their poem.
During the next class period, students listen to and take notes on “Aviary” by student poet Vivien Song and “we were fragments” by student poet Dana Blatte. With the remaining time, students update their poem draft. While they are working, I ask students to add to their structure and to make their piece more POETIC through stylistic devices! I suggest they think about how they can use shape, synesthesia, or anaphora (or any of the concepts we've studied) to their poem. I require students to make sure they (and their perspective) are present—and strong—in the poem.
In the next class, students share their 1) topic, 2) connection to the topic/the story they're telling, and 3) pair up with a peer editing partner. Students use the remaining class time to peer edit and finalize their poem. The next class, we submit poems to the contest.
Natalie Belli | Middle School English Teacher | Massachusetts
Why do you participate in the Fighting Words Poetry Contest?
I follow the Pulitzer Center and I saw the contest. It looked fantastic. I looked through everything that was online and the fact that a Pulitzer Center staff member would work with the class was incredible. All the online resources were incredibly helpful and user-friendly. It was an easy buy-in for me.
Students at this age will semi-talk about current events. They will talk about what they hear in conversations, as they pass the television, on the bus, and they only get little filters of stories, which can be dangerous...For students to explore lots of multimedia news sources, be presented with different sources and political bents is important.
Natalie Belli
The contest asks students to connect with and respond to a news story through poetry. Why do you think it is valuable for students to explore current events and global issues in the classroom?
I teach World Geography and English Literature and Writing. We are in a building that houses 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. What is really interesting is that students at this age will semi-talk about current events. They will talk about what they hear in conversations, as they pass the television, on the bus, and they only get little filters of stories, which can be dangerous. Also, something that is super interesting to me is something a teacher said to me several years ago. She told me she does not talk about global issues and current events in her class. I strongly and respectfully disagree with that statement because kids will develop their own fears and anxieties about mixed messages they receive, and I think developing critical thinking skills for students is important. For students to explore lots of multimedia news sources, be presented with different sources and political bents is important. I'm constantly asking students, what are you not seeing? What is the underreported story? What do you think that lady in the background thinks about what is going on here? Kids will leave my class saying "My head hurts," and I will ask, "Why?" Their response is that all the thinking is making their heads hurt and I think that is amazing. I have a sign outside my classroom that a student made—it says “Comfortable conversations about uncomfortable situations.”
How has the contest supported your goals as an educator?
Phenomenally. [Contest organizer] Hannah is my person! I've talked to them so many times in my home about the contest. In my backyard barefoot. It's gotten so personal! They have been so fantastic. Also, the graphic organizers and resources you develop for students are so helpful as far as laying out a process and structure for kids to follow. Additionally, with the reading and writing elements, you have everything that I'm looking for as a teacher. You are creating discourse in my classroom. We are having productive conversations. This contest also supports critical thinking.
Hannah once asked me, "What do you need?" I told them if we could have stories broken down by age that would be great. And now you have that and it is super helpful.
How have your students responded to the contest?
I love how students have responded to the contest. First of all, the fact that it is not an essay students have to write, it's a poem and they are creating art is great. The contest is also great for students that are on any type of special learning plan and need support with their writing. Students have responded well to the fact that it is a contest. There is a reward that is not just monetary or publication. It is also the opportunity that you might be able to present and share your poem with fellow student poets. You have the students who are super shy and want to hide behind their words and the other kids that want their voice out there. Students also have the option to add an audio recording of their poem. Just having all those options is wonderful.
I have a couple stories I want to share. First, a couple years ago we were on Cape Cod for a camping trip with our 6th graders and the night of the Fighting Words virtual open mic we had spotty wifi. That night I had 40 kids who could potentially present and we had major technical problems. I had my phone out and parents had their phones out. We were trying everyone's phones testing different wifi connections. We were coming in and out of the virtual open mic. One of the girls did not have a chance to read. She was in the 6th grade and had some trouble reading. She is somebody that was so thrilled that her name was on the list of open mic performers. She loved her poem. She said, “I love my poem, it is the best thing I have ever written.” That girl and three other students were supposed to get their cabin picture taken and be at practice at the time of the open mic. They both gave up their cabin picture and practice for the open mic without even the guarantee, just the possibility, to participate in the open mic. Later I received an amazing letter from one of the parent chaperones who was able to see that engagement.
The second story is about Lilia and another student who was not able to read her poem. We were supposed to have pieces of work presented for Pride Day. The students read their poems at our town hall in front of the select board, the superintendent, state representatives, parents, administration and everyone was just blown away. The students were acknowledged by the community. And someone asked me the question, “Does everyone do this, or just you?” I wanted to say yes, everyone does this, but that is not true. So the Fighting Words contest has a lot of legs and there is a lot of movement that takes you to other places.
What tips can you share with other educators interested in guiding their students through the contest?
I think it is really important to guide students. The biggest tip I have is to give this contest time. As far as exploring articles and summarizing reporting, this could be an entire unit! I told my students to explore a minimum of five articles and that can be a lot. Also, just because something is a story in the form of a video does not mean it is going to be easier. Students have to be vigilant and take notes. To understand a news story it is critical to take your time. Lastly, another tip that is super important is students have to be engaged and interested in the articles. I think it is a mistake for teachers to assign articles. Students should have a choice and I tell students if you are making a more mature choice, have those conversations with me or your parents. I tend to have kids who are motivated and love to be challenged.
