I am aware that poetry is often difficult to ‘fit in’ to the teaching curriculum when there are so many other priorities, and I have found that a good way to address it is to combine it with a topic that is being taught. The right poems can therefore educate on a topical level as well as a figurative language level, so when I find the inspiration I research subjects and write poems specifically for this purpose. I have therefore listed many of my poems into categories according to the subject, event or topic that they relate to, and have included any research that I have found useful where appropriate. All of my poems which fit into topicwork are listed below, but I have separated them further into specific topics of ENCOURAGEMENT AND INSPIRATION, FOOD, HISTORY AND EVENTS, (PEOPLE & HISTORIC EVENTS, TUDORS, VICTORIAN MINING, WORLD WAR TWO), NATURE, CREATION & THE WORLD ABOUT US (ANIMALS, FLOWERS PLANTS AND TREES, INSECTS/ MINIBEASTS/ SPIDERS, SEASIDE, SEASONS, WEATHER), SEASONAL POEMS (BONFIRE NIGHT POEMS, CHRISTMAS POEMS, HARVEST/ THANKSGIVING POEMS AND SONGS, MOTHERS DAY PERFORMANCE POEMS AND SONGS), and finally SENSES POEMS. Each of these are listed in the drop down menu from the TOPIC POEMS, and will therefore provide a smaller, more specific list of the poems which will interest you.