“Talk with a little luck in it, that’s what poetry is—just let the words take you where they want to go. You’ll be invited; things will happen; your life will have more in it than other’s people’s lives have.” ~Poet William Stafford
I recently had the chance to talk with one of our poetry and writing teachers at Blackbird & Company. I’ve had the honor of teaching with him this past year and have learned quite a bit! He is imposing in stature, but one of the wisest, gentlest, men I have encountered. His hair and beard are wild and free, and he has a carefree smile and smooth voice. It’s no wonder he teaches the arts! When I asked him about Poetry writing using Blackbird & Company curriculum, he expressed that he loved how the curriculum tries to teach both freedom and form. “Most students,” he said, “feel confined by form.” The classic struggle he sees in young writers is the need they feel to write what someone else wants to hear rather than what they want to say. It is a learning process to learn to shape your own voice to fit an assignment.
“Even though we spend so much time learning the rules of writing, we must let writers know that rules are meant to be broken. The writer’s voice needs to come before the rules, or simply change the rules.” ~Poet (& screenwriter) Søren Bredberg
Søren was homeschooled with Blackbird & Company ELA curriculum at center stage. He believes this methodology helped him to find his voice in writing and develop the skills he has today. Søren has taught in the classroom and online for over six years using Blackbird & Company curriculum. He has a passion for poetry, but he teaches other forms of writing, the essay, as example. The difference in essay writing, Søren pointed out, is the importance of getting the necessary information out concisely and within boundaries. Søren noted that when he first works with a new student, he typically notices they write in a formulaic style. The student will start and end paragraphs the same way. Students often get taught there is a correct way to open a paragraph. They might feel confined by form and the need to follow it to a T, like there is no leeway and room for their personal voice. These are the hardest students to reach. He notes the power of writing our own ideas. This is something he has appreciated in Blackbird & Company approach and has seen firsthand how this helps his struggling writers to find their voice and find meaning and joy in writing again. I am looking forward to teaching with Søren again this coming year, encouraging our students to find their own voice and break some of the rules along the way!
Mr. Søren is currently pursuing his degree at the LA Film School as he continues to imagine his ideas into the shape of feature-length screenplays.
“The more that you read, the more things that you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go! ~Dr. Seuss
~Clare Bonn