Well, I had fun! It seemed the kids did, too. I look forward to feedback from the teachers to see how I can improve the presentation, and then I look forward to doing it again and again.
My only wish would be for more time and smaller groups of kids. I don’t want much, do I? There were questions that didn’t get answered, and, to be perfectly honest, I want a chance to listen to the kids, their questions, observations, and thoughts. I loved it when kids came up and asked questions as they were leaving the gym.
That may not be the best use of time or money, but maybe there’s a way to work a bit of that into the schedule. Maybe lunch with a small group of students who have “earned” the opportunity to be part of the small group. I’d want them to have seen the program so that they’d have questions and a point of reference for discussion.
Just a thought. I hope this is just the beginning.
Categories: Children's writing
Kids *are* great! And stimulating their thinking and questions is very rewarding! Great job, Jen!
I love to do the “author’s lunch” with a group of kids–preferably those who see themselves as writers. They seem to really value the time with an author.
I also am adding the “Author Walk-About” to my visits selection. For this I go to about 6 classrooms for 10-15 minutes of Q&A with the kids. It helps me really connect with the kids and answer a lot of questions. In an assembly format, there is such a sea of hands, you leave feeling as though you didn’t even scratch the surface on answering them.
School visits are great! Congratulations on a great start!
Thanks! I think I’d like to try your “Author’s Lunch” and “Author’s Walk-About.”