What happens when poetry steps outside the classroom – into nature and an art exhibition?
Year 7 students at Bangkok Patana School found inspiration everywhere as they explored the Outdoor Classroom, where every detail – from the stillness of the pond to the rustle of leaves – became a line of poetry. I loved guiding them through this creative journey as they developed ‘Inspiration in Nature’, their own anthology that celebrates short poetic forms from around the world, alongside analytical writing that explains their poetic choices. Through object poems, haiku and haiga, personification poetry, ekphrasis and more, students refined their observational and sensory writing skills. Their creativity was also sparked by the ‘Patana Canvases’ exhibition, where staff artworks offered new perspectives and themes to explore. Finally, they performed their poems aloud – bringing their words, and the world that inspired them, to life.
Read more in my blog post on Patana Life: Inspiration in Nature – Poetry in the Outdoor Classroom
