You Are Poetry

We are all poets—whether we know it or not—because we all have unique voices to share and stories to tell. Educator Mike Johnston honors that truth with You Are Poetry, a step-by-step curriculum that brings out and lifts up student voice through the art of slam poetry. Across four highly choice-driven course units, complete with modifications for all poets in K–8 classrooms, Johnston guides readers through activities and insights that will grow poets in your school and citizens in your community. At a time when students struggle to form empathic relationships at school, You Are Poetry underscores the value of being open and alive to the world. These tools don’t just spark creative expression; they go beyond, nurturing it from within as a gift to ourselves and a path to real connection with others.