For Primary School Teachers

Sharing Ourselves: "Who I Am" Poems

Begins active introspective process while continuing to provide opportunities for individuals to make connections with each other.  Participants write short poems, starting each line with "I am...," encouraging them to describe in their own words who they are and what's important to their identity.

Instructions

Ask participants to take ten to fifteen minutes to write a poem called "Who I Am."  Instruct them that the only rule is that each line should begin with the words "I am...".  Leave it open to their interpretation as much as possible, but suggest that they can, if they wish, include statements about where they're from regionally, ethnically, religiously, and so on; memories from different points in their lives; interests and hobbies; mottos or credos; favourite phrases; family traditions and customs; and whatever else defines who they are.