Approach to Teaching

Imani Cezanne’s teaching approach is informed by the oral tradition of Spoken Word poetry.  Teaching outcomes are primarily guided by questions - How are performance poets expanding an understanding of literature? How and where do slam and spoken word poetry fit into American literature? What can performance poets teach us about our identity? Imani is a vibrant teacher and workshop facilitator who has formalized what she's learned outside of the classroom to share universal skills like public speaking and  creative writing with her students. 

Custom Lesson Plans

Imani is uniquely experienced at building lesson plans and curriculum specifically designed for the needs of her students. In 2018 she was asked by the JRAP program, a 1.4 million dollar arts integration initiative for the San Francisco Unified School District to create professional development trainings for teachers as part of an initiative to integrate the arts into California middle schools.

Learn More

Submit this contact form to bring Imani to your school or organization for a single workshop, a residency or to host an intimate professional development session with your teaching staff. Custom lesson plans are also available for purchase to those wishing to facilitate classes on their own.

Testimonials

Vanessa Varela, School Programs Manager

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Imani's artistic talent is undeniable, it is an absolute privilege to have her in the classroom. Her educational methods inspire the students we serve to not only explore their own creativity, but to also collaborate effectively with their peers and general community. Students learn to cultivate a safe environment in which to express their emotions and influence positive social change. After each school residency with Imani I have observed how eager students are to continue writing and sharing personal stories and concerns about the world around them. Imani's commitment to creating engaging and empowering curriculum has strengthened our in-school program, through well prepared research and critical reflection tools she guides young minds towards dissecting and ultimately better participating in their own education. 

Ami Molinelli, Curriculum Specialist/Musician

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Working with Imani has been a pleasure. I was able to work with her as a curriculum specialist where we collaborated on jazz and poetry curriculum for 6th graders in San Francisco.  Imani is a self assured, confident and excellent teacher. She commands a classroom and is so inclusive, that even those students who willfully try to not participate, are turned around by her diligence and consciousness as she reaches every student in the room.  As an accomplished artist, her example of performance is also something for the students to aspire to. I've worked with thousands of classroom teachers and teaching artists as an arts integration specialist and Imani has and instinctive talent paired with teaching skills that bring out a collaborative, artistic process with the students in the classroom

Jari Bradley, Student

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Working with the incredibly gifted Imani Cezanne was an amazing experience. I learned the intricate levels and degrees of performance poetry, how one must go beyond themselves in a piece of work to deliver a moment to an audience. Imani  was able to pull valuable moments from drafts of my writing during the process of editing, which she assisted me in manifesting on stage through countless hours of rehearsal. The amount of time Imani dedicates to assisting others in the development of the craft of writing and performance poetry speaks to how dedicated her heart is to the cultivation of meaningful art and intentional artists. Imani is a genuine source of inspiration in her work to motivate others in their growth within the art of slam and performance poetry. The opportunity to work with the astounding Imani Cezanne was nothing short of a blessing.