Taylor Mali is a rockstar in my book.
The guy's performances are flat out moving - he's a public speaking idol, for sure! My methods teacher shared a video of his slam poem, "What Teachers Make," during class, and to me, the presentation bordered a gospel level of epic. It made me want to go to a dinner party just to jump onto a table and preach the very message he conveyed.
I didn't know Mali had so many performances. But I do know that they are excellent (and topical) examples worth incorporating into a public speaking and/or poetry unit(s). He certainly demonstrates how influential combining the two can be.
Now I wonder about the impact a hybridized poetry-speech unit would have on student learning. The typical high schooler dreads poetry, and perhaps above all else, despises speech. You wouldn't think putting the two together would do either subject a favor, but Mali's presentations showcase a certain power in unifying them, and I'm not yet too jaded to think that students could not strive to move an audience themselves. Hmmm...
...I need to write some lesson plans.
