By Steve
Swinburne
A school visit has the power to
engage, enlighten, entertain and inspire young students. But how do you craft
an author program that inspires readers, makes wonderful curriculum connections
and leaves lasting memories? In presenting to school kids for over twenty
years, I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. But I’d love to share with
you some of the things that have worked and helped garner some rave reviews for
my school visits from librarians. Below you will find a few cardinal rules that
may guide you in designing a great school visit.
But, first things, first. If you’re
super nervous about standing in front of 150 third-graders, just know
that every visiting author has been there. Here’s how I handled the school
visit jitters. I started small. I visited my daughter’s elementary school
classroom. After a couple of visits, when I realized second graders were not
going to eat me alive, I moved on to church socials and Rotary Club gatherings.
Practice, practice, practice until you get comfortable in a room full of kids
and adults.
Be
proactive.
Long
before the BIG DAY arrives, make sure you and the school visit coordinator
(librarian, teacher or PTO) are on the same page. Do you have a signed contract
with school telephone number and the cell phone of the coordinator, in case of
an emergency? Know how the day will roll out: number of presentations, length,
location, book signing times. Will you or the librarian handle book sales? If
you are providing books, do you have a book order form with prices? The best
way teachers can prepare for an author visit is for the students to read the
author’s books. Thoughtful questions and good conversations can result.
Be
prepared.
There
are some things you can’t control on school visit day – weather, traffic, etc.
But you can control how prepared you are. Double-check your equipment. Do you
have appropriate dongles to connect your MacBookPro to the library Smartboard? Do
you have fresh batteries in your remote? Did you bring extra ones? Have you
checked and double-checked your Keynote or PowerPoint program? You want your
full attention on the kids, not worrying about the technology.
Be
early.
Once,
years ago, I had a school visit in New Jersey. I remember that my first session
began at 9 a.m. But at 9 a.m., I’m in my car, stopped dead in traffic, in the
center of the George Washington Bridge. Lesson learned: plan ahead. I like to
arrive 30 – 45 minutes before the first presentation begins. If you’ve ever
arrived as parents are dropping off their kids in the front of school, you know
that’s a hectic scene. Arrive early, get comfortable, check sound, check lights,
check that your program is loading. Make friends with the custodian. Locate the
bathroom.
Be
flexible.
Roll
with the flow of the day. Every author loves to present in the heart of the
school – the library. But if the library is too small for all the 4th
and 5th graders, you may have to present in the cafeteria or gym.
You are there for the kids. Bring your big boy/big girl pants and make it work.
Remember, they’re paying you a lot of money on a tight school budget. No
complaining allowed.
Be you.
Students
don’t meet authors every day. You’re special. They want to know who you are and
what makes you tick? Introduce your self. I always begin my presentations with
a slide pinpointing where I live compared to where the school is located. It
sets up the geography. I show one or two photos of my family, my house and most
of all, my dogs. (kids are dying to know if you have a pet). I then show them photos
of the river I live beside and talk about how the river inspires me. And that
point we are off and running and moving into the meat of my program.
Be sure
to adapt.
Librarians
love when an author adapts their presentations to various age levels. With the
youngest kids, Pre-K to 1st graders, you can be more playful and
animated. With older students, engage and inspire them with substance, intrigue
and story.
Be
entertaining.
Kids
love to laugh. Sneak in a joke. Tell a funny story. If you win over your
audience with humor, they will be with you when you engage them with writing
tips and curriculum connections. You don’t have to play ukulele or illustrate
(but if you do, go for it!) Do you yodel? Can you hoot like an owl? Share a bit
of yourself, your hobby, your interests – that way you become real to your
audience. You will inspire them.
Be informative.
In every
school visit, I emphasize things like, “Strong Verbs, Cool Details and Hooking
the Reader” can make your writing sparkle and come alive; “Get your first draft
down, then fix it up”; “Good readers make Good writers.” Teachers REALLY
appreciate that their students hear this kind of powerful writing and reading
advice from a “REAL, LIVE AUTHOR.”
Be a
storyteller.
Tell the
story of how you became an author, illustrator or photographer. Did you read as
a kid? What books? I was a reluctant reader growing up, and I tell kids that. Make connections. Kids love hearing how
authors get their ideas. Share research anecdotes. In researching my upcoming
book on giraffes, I visited a giraffe center in Africa where if you stuck a
small biscuit between your lips, a giraffe would come along and slurp it out
with their long 19-inch tongue. I then show a photo of that scene. Kids love
behind the scenes research stories.
Be someone
who follows up.
For a
hundred bucks or so, I get a bunch of Thank You Postcards from my local
printer. After every school visit, I mail the librarian a postcard. It’s a nice
follow up. And, as often happens, a week or two after your school visit, a package
of “Letters to the Author” might show up in mail. You don’t have time to send a
thank you note to every kid, but a note or postcard to the teacher does
wonders.
When I was a kid growing up in Queens, New
York, I never remembered authors and illustrators visiting our public school
auditoriums or classrooms. I thought authors who wrote books were a mystery;
artists lived somewhere far away from our Queens neighborhood. I’m very
grateful we have moved on from that unenlightened era. We know now that when an
author visits a school, readers are inspired. An author visit can foster active
and curious minds. Minds hungry for exploration and growth.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Steve Swinburne has
worked as a national park ranger and is the author of more than 30 children’s
books. His extensive travels to faraway lands such as Africa, Borneo,
Bangladesh and Dubai along with treks through Yellowstone and researching
giraffes, have all influenced his book projects, including Sea Turtle Scientist, Run,
Sea Turtle, Run and his upcoming title, Giraffe
Math. Steve visits over 50 schools a year across the United States as well
as many international schools. He lives in Vermont with his wife, Heather, two
dogs named Scout and Jem, and a cat named Skittles. Learn more at www.SteveSwinburne.com.
ABOUT THE PRIZE
Steve will provide a 30-minute Skype visit with the winner or with a classroom of their choice.
