— REGISTRATION CLOSED —
We are happy to announce a unique Mindsprings Online Course “Unlocking the Power of Poetry – Appreciate, Inspire, Teach ” with Usha Pandit. It is scheduled to start on Saturday, 24th April 2021. Four online classes, one every Saturday, from 4 pm to 6 pm.
A unique course, which deals exhaustively with one of the most difficult parts of literature study. Most people, having learnt poetry throughout school, are unable to understand it adequately, much less appreciate it or be inspired by it. Most teachers find that Poetry is one of most difficult topics to teach. This workshop will change that forever. Create personal and professional advantage.
Helpline Number – 810 478 3119
Who is it for?
The online course is for teachers interested in understanding, appreciating and teaching poetry for middle and high school students. Ideally suited for English teachers but high school students can also attend as it would benefit them in their exams. Besides, anyone who has a passion for poetry will gain a lot from this course. This course is not for absolute beginners, or for teaching Primary grades.
Course Structure
The online course will have 4 sessions covering 4 modules. Each module will have 3 parts:
- Pre viewing on YouTube and pre-reading of teaching blogs given in advance to learn asynchronously.
- Online Session: Teaching of course content. Practice using a variety of poems. Clarification of persistent common doubts. Question and Answer time. Notes on the session will be provided.
- Assignment by submission of questions, one or two poems to analyse, and submission of one curated poem with relevant questions to go into a collective poetry bank for all contributing participants. The solution to the assignment questions will be provided prior to the next session.
WhatsApp group will be created to engage with one another, and to ask your mentor questions and doubt for more inputs throughout the course.
Course Content
- The Barebones of Poetry (Purpose of poetry. Links and impact on literature, art, history, philosophy and creative writing. Terminology used in Poetry. A template to use for deconstructing poetry. Practice session.)
- Fundamentals of poetry. (Themes, symbols, senses, diction, mood, tone, imagery. All poetic devices. Practice session.)
- Four types of readings to interpret poetry. The power of recitation. Structure, punctuation and writer’s craft. Practice session.
- The language of critical appreciation. Analysis and practice with challenging poetry – a shared workshop. Evaluating poetry skills. Teaching using volume, frequency and context. Practice session.
Outcomes
- Gain superb clarity and deep understanding of all aspects of poetry.
- Learn to appreciate all kinds of poetry by using clear steps to deconstruct poetry.
- Understand terminology for interpretation and language of appreciation.
- Practice extensively during online sessions and in assignment submissions.
- As a bonus, all contributing participants will get a ready collection of poems with relevant questions in a question bank.
- A mentor who can be reached out to for consultation and continued direction and support in a community of like-minded learners.
- Certification Requirement
Participants are required to attend all four sessions and submit weekly assignments on time, before the answer key and link to the next session are sent. They will get a Certificate of Participation at the end of the Course provided the criteria of attendance, and timely and complete submissions of assignments are met with. There are no refunds or reruns of sessions.
Course Director
Usha Pandit is a teacher of 30+ years academic experience from K-12. She is the author of 40 books of which the 8 grammar books are used in mainstream schools. Usha has Masters Degrees in English and Education, and a TEFLA Certificate from Cambridge. She has taught in 4 countries, is a curriculum expert, and has been an academic consultant to top schools in India. She is a much sought-after teacher trainer, and a champion of gifted education. There are 100 YouTube videos available on her channel “The Mindsprings English Teacher” of which the grammar videos are very popular. She has run 9 online courses in the past year in Creative Writing, Grammar, and Pre-Primary teaching and trained nearly 900 teachers. All courses have been unequivocally voted as excellent value for money; exemplary in their content and organisation; and unique for the resource person’s knowledge and skills. They have been completed successfully by many teachers in some of the topmost schools in the country.
