Every child I’ve ever met is a poet—they observe their world with care; they question language’s flaws and eccentricities; they share the curiosity that is the foundation of any artist or scientist. My workshops are designed to emphasize that students already have the skills and tools to build images that contain power.

I share the work of poets like Emily Dickinson and William Carlos Williams to help students recognize that poems can be about everyday experiences and use comfortable vocabulary. I use writing exercises to awaken a sense of play in words, and to emphasize each student’s competence and potential mastery in writing. More than anything, I hope to model the real possibility of choosing a writing life—to light a spark in my students, or feed an existing flame.

My students come in all ages, from pre-kindergarten through adult. As a Young Audiences Residency Artist, I have been selected as a teaching artist at the Young Audiences Aesthetics Education Institute. I also teach adult students through Lighthouse Writers Workshops, an independent, non-profit school for writers in Denver.

As the 2002-2004 curriculum designer and visiting poet for the Jefferson County Library Foundation’s Poetry Outreach Program, I worked with fifth and sixth graders at Mulholm Elementary, Edgewater Elementary, and Russell Elementary. I also direct the Online Poetry Project, funding and coordinating poetry residencies, online classes, and an online club for students across Colorado.

Other poetry residency sites have included Brown Elementary, Evergreen High School, Idalia School (pre-K-12), and the Ricks Center for Gifted Children. Future residencies with gifted children in Georgetown and Idaho Springs and with students in Telluride will occur in the spring of 2005.

Teachers, parents, schools, and students are welcome to contact me to learn about poetry residencies and funding in the State of Colorado.

Comments from Colorado High School students:

I thought that writing a poem would be hard, but when I started writing, the words just fit together perfectly...
—C.F.

It was awesome because the way Kathryn taught us to write poetry made it a lot easier. It seemed like the ideas were flowing all the time.
—T.T.

She opened my eyes to the beauty of poetry. Kathryn also gave me confidence when I write poems.
—S.M.

I liked it all; she inspired all of my class to be creative and poetic... I found it easier to write after she told us what to look for... she had a positive attitude and an open mind.
—S.K.