What Can I Do for You? Think School Visit!

1.    What is the author’s purpose?
2.    Which visit would you like to have? Why?
Answers are at the end of this post.

​​Would you like a new language arts lesson for December, or for those short weeks in January and February? It’s hard to run your regular routine. Why not take a break, and do something different? Sit, relax, and I’ll teach your class about writing from my pre-published/retired teacher perspective.

I offer variations in classroom visits, and I can tailor one for you. The pictures in this post are from grades K-3. I love seeing kids interested in learning! I hope to visit grades 4 and 5 this year. I sub in grades PK-4. After 33 years in second grade, it’s fun to go someplace new!

​​Options for Classroom Visits:

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1.    This is from the slideshow of my writing journey. It starts when I met a bat, the mammal kind, in Germany. Really! If interested we can act out the true bat story.That experience gave me my first two books. They’re both in my computer, waiting for me to return for them when I have other books published. Why? An editor told me that bat stories don’t have legs. No LOL! They sell best before and after Halloween. After that they just take up shelf space. Now I’m spending my time primarily on 3 stories that have legs and will sell anytime.

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2.    With grades 1-4, we can transform my journey into a common core writing lesson. As I tell my story, I’ll pause for your students to map out what they want to remember. They can do an opinion about my visit or write informative/explanatory/narrative passages about my journey. I can match common core expectations for your grade level to  each kind of writing. I’ll tailor my visit to fit the needs and interests of your students.

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​3.  Want a different focus? I can introduce you to the authors who’ve critiqued my work. They helped me grow as a writer. I’ll bring along their autographed books and pictures to share.

4.    I can also show you what a real, live critique looks like on paper, and what “getting pages” looks like. I meet once a month with a critique group in Tennessee. I’ll show you how they look at my work. My conference critiques look a little different. I also have two full critiques of my middle grade chapter book. I’m glad to show your how students constructive criticism benefits me. I’ll link it to what you do every day. You, are their best critic.

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5.    Would your class like to visit another culture? I can bring in my German or English journals. They have words, pictures, even money. If interested, we can complete a Venn diagram to compare/contrast the two cultures.  You can stop there, or turn it into a writing opportunity.

If you look closely at the slide above, you’ll see a monument called the Hermannsdenkmal, or Herman monument. I didn’t think my own bat story was enough, so I dragged in Herman and discovered two things…I overshot the mark and wrote a chapter book, not a picture book. I also learned that I am enough. The second book is my mostly true bat story, embellished to make an early chapter book for young readers. 

I also have books I’ve brought back from Germany. Most are translated and will show your students German grammar structure, pronunciation, and meaning. Who knows, maybe we’ll even speak a little German before I leave!
  
How about a German Christmas? I can refresh the lesson I did for my second graders. I’ll double check my accuracy with a German teacher who’s one of my Beta readers to see if I missed anything. I’m  hoping they’ll do a Christmas post for me. Fingers crossed

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6.    Do you have students who don’t want to edit their writing? They won’t listen to you. Let me do a lesson with them. Sometimes hearing the same words from a stranger makes a difference. I just need a draft. We’ll read through it and look for errors. I critique my own work this way, and I got this strategy from an agent at an SCBWI conference. (SCBWI- Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators)
This picture is from a lesson I did with third graders. They were brave about sharing their work and taking constructive criticism. They also received a small prize from me for sharing and correcting mistakes. Every student improved their final copy. I hope they remembered my advice for their next draft, and eventually for 3rd grade testing, where proofreading/editing are critical skills

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7.    For older classes, would you and your students like to see how I edit? I used color last year to push a middle grade story I’d worked on for 6 years. I was told it was flat and couldn’t believe it! 6 years! My Nashville critiquer in September said it was missing sensory and emotional information. Highlighting helped me find what was there, and what was missing. It worked! The same author reread my first two chapters in May and said it was right on track. Hurray! She also showed me how to shrink a manuscript down to1 page per chapter. It’s another way to find those holes in your work. It’s better to find and correct my own work. If I’m querying an editor or agent, I’ll get a polite thanks, but no thanks!

I could reverse this strategy to help a reader understand a chapter book. I’d be glad to give it a whirl with your class. If interested, let me know. I have some ideas on how to do this with a published books.​

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8.    This is my blog. I can do a reading lesson for you on any post. They come with questions before, and  answers after each one. In presentations, I can target author’s purpose, main idea, supporting detail, whatever skills your students need to practice. To see available posts, check my Pinterest boards. My blogs are posted for Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts. I also matched each post to Ohio science and social studies strands. If you live outside of Ohio, I hope they’re similar for you.
 
9.    Would your class like to build a post with me? We can use any topic you’ve studied. I just need pictures for the post. We can work together- before/during/after my visit- to edit words and pictures. When done, I’ll post them on my web page. I’ll list your class and your school as my co-authors.

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​ No matter which visit you choose, I’ll talk to your students about persistence like no one else can. I’ve been on my writing journey for 10 years, and still no published books, yet. To be a writer, I’ve learned not to be discouraged with critiques. I take the advice that makes sense to me, and I use it to grow. I also make sure I enjoy the journey. Stay tuned a for future post, A Little Help from My Friends. I’ll introduce you to my writing friends from SCBWI who’ve helped and encouraged me along the way. They’re the best!
 
I also make sure I enjoy the journey. Stay tuned a for future post, A Little Help from My Friends. I’ll introduce you to my writing friends from SCBWI who’ve helped and encouraged me along the way. They’re the best!

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What Can I Do for You? Think School Visit!
1.    What is the author’s purpose?
My author’s purpose was to convince you and your teacher to schedule an author visit with me.
2.    Which visit would you like to have? Why?
Example: I’d like to have Rinda help me edit my writing. I want to learn how to catch my own mistakes, before my teacher can.

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