SCHOOL VISITS
The nuts-and-bolts
of Kate's school visits:
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Sessions run about 45 minutes, leaving about 10 minutes for Questions & Answers
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Visits can range from one-hour to full-day
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Presentations can be tailored to fit a teacher's specific needs
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Audiences from kindergarten to sixth grade
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Writing workshops available upon request
I recognize that it's not always easy to justify bringing in an author to speak. But author visits are exciting ways to get kids pumped up about reading and writing. With schools under pressure to perform and devote so much classroom time to assessments, I have put together talks and writing workshops that focus on the fundamentals of writing, reading, and research:
Helping students use more descriptive and specific language
Basic elements of a story, point of view, and storytelling
How to open with a bang and tools for getting started
Research and how it can add color to creative writing
Outlining and building the skeleton of a story
The Scroll of Doom
And to demonstrate resilience, I have students help me with "The Scroll of Doom," a 65-foot long roll of laminated rejection letters I accumulated over the years. I heard quite a few "no's" before landing that first book contract! And this is a physical demonstration around the concepts of perseverance and resilience.
