Anatomy of an Author Visit

I have been doing author visits to schools for nearly thirty years now. All have been interesting and enjoyable. Some have been memorable. My latest visit: Santiam Elementary School in Mill City, Oregon was one of them. Here’s why:

SET-UP

Great open space for large group (80) sessions. Lights were able to be dimmed when viewing images on the screen. Chairs for all. A microphone was an essential tool.

Small group sessions were used for follow-ups as well as for kindergarten and Life Skills classes.

PREPARATION

Teachers made sure students were familiar with the work I have done. Some prepared with activities.

An art project: draw the author

Ahh…gum art!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PARTICIPATION

Students were enthusiastic participants in asking questions, sharing insights, and accepting the “Chicken Challenge” (create a better name for non-fiction).

Lots of great questions!

“Lighting the ball” with cooperation. Writers help each other.

6th grader Jillian wins the “Chicken Challenge.” Winning entry: Fic-fac. Much better than non-fiction!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to the students and staff at Santiam Elementary. Special kudos to Cindy McMahan, who coordinated the visit. Hope it was worth the effort!

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 comments

  1. Cindy McMahan says:

    Santiam Elementary sure enjoyed your Author Visit! You had lots of great ideas for writing that will make a difference for our students!
    Teachers gave feedback that: you took time to speak to our students and make connections with them, a real published author. Students learned that writing can become a career or a hobby.
    Thanks again for visiting our school!

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