I marvel at this impact, more than seven years later, but it only confirms my belief that over time, for even one hour a week, poetry can open the hearts and minds of young people.

Like educators around the country, I feel that Sandy Hook Elementary is my school and its children are my children. In our calls for action, we must take care of our souls and remember that while they may not solve, words can be a balm during hard times.

I've seen what happens when you put a pen in a child's hand. It's like a match to the imagination. The beauty and bravery that come forth in poems is simply breathtaking.

As teachers, we touch many lives. Sometimes we know the effect, but often we do not. When I received an email from a former InsideOut student, now a Teach for America trainee, I had the pleasure of spreading the word to a very special teacher.

I have long felt that our students have a somewhat different relationship to their city than children in other parts of the country, that they take Detroit as their muse and that the city actually becomes a character in their work.