Jessica Szabo

Re: Wakefield Brewster

Page2Stage Productions Inc.

Poet and Spoken Word Artist / EducatorPoet / Artist In Residence

When I asked Wakefield Brewster to come into my school to share some of his work and insight I had no idea what I was in for. 

I am a new teacher so this was my first experience with bringing in a speaker for the students and staff. 

I had heard Wakefield speak at the Calgary Teachers Convention and was blown away by his passion and pure talent with words. 

I felt I needed to share that in some way with the students that I was teaching. 

I got in contact with him as soon as I could and he and his manager made it so easy to organize. 

I will never forget the afternoon he came. 

The teachers were trying their hardest to get their classes covered so they could attend. 

The students were buzzing. 

He began speaking and a room of 100 students fell silent. 

His raw interest in the human condition is so easy to relate to, and his poems are so saturated with humility, that you can’t help but get swept away. 

Due to a lack of funding we were only supposed to have him with us for one hour -  but he ended up staying all afternoon! 

Wakefield worked personally and directly with the students, helping them write their own poems, as well as answering many inspired questions from this captive audience. 

Now going into my fifth year of teaching, I look forward to exploring another opportunity to bring him into the school I work at.

Jessica Szabo

St. Augustine Elementary Junior High

St. Mary’s Sr. High School

St. Ambrose Elementary Junior High