This paper draws on a case study undertaken by an English teacher in a rural school with a Year 12 English class, most of whom had been singularly unsuccessful in terms of NCEA achievement. The case study was undertaken as part of a two-year project, directed by the first author, entitled: "Teachers as writers: Transforming professional identity and classroom practice". The teacher in this case study was a teacher participant in the first writing workshop conducted as part of this project who, as a result of the workshop, changed aspects of her practice with her Year 12 English class. This paper provides an overview of the intervention implemented by the classroom teacher, indicating the range of activities trialled and the sorts of reflection processes entered into (often collaboratively) as part of the action research recursive cycle. Drawing on a range of data, including pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, student evaluations, assessment data and reflective journal entries, this paper makes a case for the model of the teacher as writer, and attempts to identify aspects of classroom practice which turned a number of reluctant students on to poetry writing. (Contains 6 tables and 7 notes.)