Written by Molly and Harper Kitchen
Writing is a beautiful art. And, in the world we live in right
now, an art that we need, especially for young people. So
one amazing 6th grade teacher in Marietta, Deanna Clayton,
decided to put that idea into action and start a poetry and
writing club at Donegal Intermediate School (DIS).
Mrs. Clayton says that she first had the idea for the poetry
club about six years ago, ever since she started Celebrate the
Arts – an art, music, and poetry event at DIS every spring, but
she says that it wasn’t until this summer, when she took a
writing course that she saw that her dream could actually be
reality. She would like to thank a teacher from the Hempfield
School District, Scott Feifer, for inspiring her by all the writing
work he does for his community. Mrs. Clayton has been
writing her whole life by keeping journals, writing stories,
making up poems, etc. In high school she also wrote for her
school newspaper, as well as in college, where she majored in
Journalism and Professional Writing.
Mrs. Clayton says that she thinks it is important to get young
people interested in poetry and writing because there is so
much power in words and communication. Her goal is to
inspire students to engage in a youth poetry movement. She
wants to help students find their passion, share it, and go out
in the world and make positive changes.
Mrs. Clayton thinks this club will help improve verbal skills,
improve memory, improve critical thinking, develop empathy,
develop insight, and encourage engagement with other forms
of art. The club will also give students the chance to have a
regular opportunity to promote literacy, critical thought, selfconfidence
and public speaking skills. The club will also bring
students from all backgrounds together, it will encourage
students to make changes in themselves and the community,
and it will provide a place where students can learn to use
poetry to promote tolerance and understanding. Mrs. Clayton
loves that she can share her passion for poetry and writing
with students who are interested in it.
As Malala Yousafazi said, “One child, one teacher, one
book, and one pen can change the world.” And that quote
is incredibly true. So thank you, Mrs. Clayton, for helping us
change the world one poem at a time.