I am offering this class because it has been my personal and professional experience that this form of performance art is a great tool to use to boost confidence and a greater sense of self-awareness among today's youth. 
I am a great instructor for this class because since the age of 10 or 11 writing was my only outlet and it kept me alive literally as well as kept my hopes alive as a young child growing up in the hard situations that I did. As I grew up the writing that was inside of me was being written down and teachers and counselors would tell me to continue writing as an outlet but I soon discovered that even if I wrote down my feelings those same feelings stayed inside of me; defeating the main purpose to give me some mental/emotional relief. So I began reading aloud some of my favorite poets/authors words and I could literally feel the power behind the words, which led me into listening and reciting music lyrics I found uplifting and empowering. I stumbled into spoken word poetry via hip-hop and soon became a lover of the not so popular art at the time.  After years of admiring others talent I began to have motivation to pursue my own and I did. From that time on I have not turned back, accomplishing my own 1st published poetic autobiography called, "A Piece of Me... Brings Peace to Me" as well as starting my own non-profit where I utilized poetry/writing as a tool to assist youth in gaining self-awareness and identity.  My everyday is dedicated to the gift of teaching, but not just teaching; teaching from my experience to those who will truly resonate with what I have to offer in an attempt to better another's life like those before me did for me.