School Visiting 101

Addendum:
At the beginning of the school year, I posted this about SCHOOL VISITS.

I don't think I realized what an exciting year mine would turn into, School Visit-wise.

As teachers and writers prepare for next year, I'm reposting.
And I'm adding yesterday's terrifically helpful blogpost from 
CAROLINE STARR ROSE on the topic:
http://project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogspot.com/2014/05/planning-preparing-and-performing.html  

True confessions, I don't do everything Caroline suggests. 
But I'm thinking I should.
(extension cord emergency- yikes!)



As I begin another year of fun and fabulous school visits, with a full calendar and lots of excitement, I'm following closely the advice of those who've done a zillion of them. 

(While I'm mostly cringing at the times I was on the other side of the School Visit fence and probably the authors I hosted were totally exhausted by the end of the day. My apologies to one and all. And there were some great ones. If only I'd known...)

But now I know. And I so appreciate the teachers and librarians who've invited me and dotted every I and crossed every T to make things easier.

 (a favorite picture, from a school visit in Indiana. Loved the signs!)

(Here's my post from the end of the summer, with a few more pictures.)

Those fabulously prepared teachers and librarians must have read up on 

"School Visits With Barbara O'Connor"!

Check her blogposts on the subject.


This may be her most important advice to those planning a School Visit. 

I'm happy to report that, as a librarian, I always tried to do this:
 Number 5 and Number 5. There's a reason Barbara repeats herself.


5. Prepare the students.

Let me repeat that:

5. Prepare the students. This is the single most important ingredient for a successful author visit. Hands down.

What is involved in preparing the students, you ask?

Make sure they are familiar with the author's work.

Let me repeat that.

Make sure they are familiar with the author's work.

They should have the author's books in the classrooms.
They should have read the books - or...
They should have had the books read to them.
They should see the books displayed in the library or classroom.

Nothing generates excitement and enthusiasm for an author's visit more than this.

If you're sitting on either side of the School Visit aisle, 

 CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE LIST. 

PLEASE.

And once again, here's a link to her previous "Advice From the Trenches."