Planning an Author Visit to Your Classroom

 

What could be more exciting for you, the new teacher, than having a "real live author" visit your classroom. Here's how to plan and prepare for an author visit.

Author Lisa Ard visits a class in Beaverton, OR - Lisa Ard

All teachers want their students to be good readers and good writers. But, as a new  teacher, have you given any thought to where all of those words in all those the books your students are reading came from? Have they? When you teach a new book to your class, do you make the connection between the words and the real true person who wrote them?

When you teach writing to your class, do you draw parallels between the words they write and the process they go through and the way published authors work - for in most cases, that process is very similar.

The possibilities for author visits abound, and some can even be arranged via higher tech options such as Skype and virtual author visits - thus opening your visit up to authors who are not in your local area - or even in the same country!

But, planning for an author visit is vital to its success. Here are some ways to make that visit meaningful for your students and a pleasure for your visiting author, too. There are many things to consider when deciding on an author. Do your students have a favorite author? Do you know of a local author who would love to talk with your class? Are you at a loss when thinking of the right person, and can use some help deciding?

In order to get some "real author" input, I was lucky to have a virtual visit with Lisa Ard, a Portland-based children's author who is also an experienced visiting author. Lisa does free author visits in the Portland area, and can also visit your class via Skype.

Lisa was willing to share some of her planning ideas with me - and now, with you:

"How do you go about setting up an author visit? First, you need to find an author. There are many websites and organizations that list authors who visit schools and I’ve included a list to get you started [see below]. You may also google ‘author visits’ for your area or ask your co-workers if they have a contact. Find the author’s website or school visit information. Consider these points when narrowing down your list:

• Choose an author that writes for the audience you teach (i.e. middle grade for elementary grades). Kids will be more excited by an author visit if they’ve read his/her books. Plus, authors want to meet their audience.
• Find out what types of visits they offer: in person or via skype; classroom or auditorium visits; Q&A or something meatier, like a writing workshop
• Your budget. Many authors charge for their visits.
• Availability and schedule"
  

Of course, once you've decided on an author - the next part is actually arranging for the visit. Will this be an in-person visit, a virtual visit or one done via technology like Skype? Your budget may dictate your choice, but all of these are all great ways to bring an author into your classroom.

After you've set the date, Lisa offers some additional tips to get ready:

"Now that you’ve found an author, made contact, and agreed on a date, it’s up to you to  make this visit a success – for you, the kids, and the author. Prepare the class or school using some or all of these tips:

• Advertise, advertise, advertise! Make sure every kid and every family knows an author is  coming to school. Write it up in the school newspaper. Send home e-mail announcements.
•  Put a poster up at school. Let the local paper know; they may show up to take pictures. Authors love publicity and kids do too!
• Read the author’s book in class. Have the kids prepare book reports, questions for the  authors, draw artwork to go along with the story… this extra activity builds excitement  around the author visit.
• Ask the author how you can help with book orders. Send home order forms. E-mail buy links for the author’s books. 
• Arrange a book signing after the visit. Kids love autographs and  owning a book all their own. And frankly, authors need this support from schools.
• After the visit, have the kids write thank you letters. Reading through readers’  letters  inspires authors to keep writing. Plus, it’s teaching good manners. If you and your class  enjoyed the visit, tell all your teacher and librarian friends. Help the author find more  school visits."

Now it is up to you - talk to your students and colleagues, plan your visit and have a
great time!

For more on arranging author visits, see the following resources:

• Lisa Ard is the author of the Dream Seeker series (ages 7-10) and the award-winning Saving Halloween (ages 9-12).
• My Little Bookcase Challenge: Meet an Author
• Authors by State
• Reading Rockets Video Book Interviews
• Skype an Author
• To read more about preparation ideas, look through Dan Gutman’s article The Perfect Author Visit.
  

Original copyright 2012 +Irene Taylor. Permission to republish  in print or online must be granted by the author of this blog in writing.