Here are the bare bones I cover in the video:
The Benefits
- Works with any size group and in any setting (so each teacher, for example, can experience a session with just their classroom, rather than an assembly-style session)
- Each student in your building can take part
- Less susceptible to tech problems
- Weather, travel, and illness issues aren’t a catastrophe
- Less expensive
- Your paid visit funds a visit for a school that has a school-wide Title I program (in your district if you choose)
What I’ll Do
- Use my experience as a former teacher and a visiting author to engage and inspire your students
- Create a short personalized hello video for just your school
- Send you a document that spells out the opportunities for volunteer readers during the session and that lists spots you might want to pause for discussion or turn-and-talk moments.
- Give you 3-day access to 3 sessions (one each for K-1, 2-3, and 4-6)
- Read to students and have them read with me
- Share my writing journey
- Encourage students as readers and writers
- Ask questions (you can pause the videos to discuss then, or talk about them later)
- Show props and images from my writing process and (especially with older students) correlate that with the writing they do for school
- Write “live” in front of students
- Invite students to write after the video ends
Optional Add-Ons
- A Q&A session answering your students’ questions
- A feedback session where I respond to student writing
My Goal
I want students to feel excited about reading and writing and to see themselves as readers and writers with important things to say.