Form F Poetry Out Loud Teacher Interview Protocol

ATTACHMENT F:
POL TEACHER INTERVIEW PROTOCOL

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POL Teacher Interview Protocol
My name is _________, and I am with Social Policy Research Associates, the organization that
is conducting a study about the Poetry Out Loud program. Thank you for taking the time to talk
to us. Our goal today is to learn about your experiences in Poetry Out Loud program.
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45 minutes per
response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. This agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond
to, a collection information unless that collection displays a valid OMB control number XXXXXXXX, expiring [date]. Our discussion here should last about 45 minutes.
Your participation in this interview is voluntary, and there is no right or wrong answer – we just
want to understand your experiences. There are no program consequences (i.e., loss of benefits)
for deciding not to participate in the interview, or for deciding not to answer any particular
question. Also please note that your name will not be associated with any information you
provide. We will keep your responses private to the extent permitted by law.
[if you will be recording] We will be taking notes so we can later recall your perspectives more
accurately. In addition, so we can stay focused on the conversation, we would like to record
today’s discussion. If at any point you would like me to pause or turn off the recorder, please let
me know. I want to let you know that Social Policy Research Associates will not use your name
in any reports.

Teacher Background
1. I’d like to learn a little bit more about you—how long have you been a teacher? How
long have you been teaching at this school?
2. What do you love most about teaching English Language Arts? What do you find most
challenging?
3. How comfortable do you feel teaching poetry? What do you enjoy about it? What do
you find challenging?

Experience with POL Curriculum
4. How long have you been teaching the POL curriculum? [If not new teachers] How did
you get started with it?
5. Tell me a bit about your experience with the curriculum. Describe for me how it gets
implemented in your classroom. (e.g., How are poems chosen? How does the process of
choice, memorization, analysis, and performance work? How many total hours of class
time? How many days of lesson plans? Portion of POL compared to the rest of the ELA
curriculum?)
6. How has the POL program been helpful to you in your teaching? Are there ways that it
could be improved?

Perceptions of Student Outcomes-Academic
7. What kinds of poetry are your students most drawn to? Why? Do you have a sense of
what they find most interesting about poetry? What do they find most challenging?
8. Are there any connections between your students’ participation in POL and their
performance in your English class? Probe around ELA-specific outcomes such as:
a. engagement in learning
b. reading comprehension
c. vocabulary development
d. analytical skills
e. writing
9. Have you noticed any changes in your students’ attitudes about reading or writing
poetry after participation in POL? How about their appreciation for poetry?

Perceptions of Student Outcomes―Socio-emotional Development
10. A unique aspect of the POL program is the performance component. What are the
benefits of this component part (i.e., what do students gain through the experience of
performing poetry?) Can you share some specific examples? [Probe/listen for themes
around empowerment/self-confidence]
11. Can you tell whether your students’ participation has had any impact on their
engagement in school in general? Can you describe? [Consider social interactions,
leadership opportunities, etc.]
12. Can you tell whether your students’ participation in POL has had any impact on the way
they engage socially? On their engagement with other students? How about their
engagement in learning overall? Describe.
13. To what extent does participation in POL affect students’ understanding of the world?
Of different cultures and perspectives?
14. To what extent does student participation influence students’ understanding of
themselves?

Wrap Up
15. Have your feelings about poetry and about teaching poetry changed since you started
participating in POL? If so, how?
a. Has this influenced your teaching practices?
b. Has it changed the extent to which you incorporate poetry into your curriculum?
Is there anything else you would like to share with me about the effects of POL participation on
your students or yourself?