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The first two weeks of the school year is called "The Honeymoon"~during this time you and those boisterous students attempt to develop some sort of relationship with each other. While the English teacher in me wants to jump right in to the curriculum and start teaching my subject, the teacher in me knows it's important to establish ground rules, develop routines, and pre-assess my students. Here is a poetry lesson that can be taught during the first few days of school that will serve the purpose of teaching curriculum and developing a relationship because you will get to know something about your students. This mini-lesson is called "From List to Poem". First you need to do a quick informal assessment, so you ask the students "What do you know about poems?" Give your students the time to discuss this either with a partner, a small group, or large group. You could even have the students write their responses on a "dinner plate" graphic...