- Inspire your students to express their unique take on the world
- Encourage and educate parents to promote literacy at home
- Gain the tools to publish your students’ work in professional form
- Be inspired to move forward on your own creative journey!
A former educational consultant and teacher (K-12 English/Language Arts) as well as an award-winning children’s book author, I love to talk to writers of all ages about the writing process and my creative journey. I especially enjoy inspiring young authors to explore and express their own worlds, feelings and perceptions in their writing.
SCHOOL VISITS
My interactive Young Author Assemblies offer an audio-visual glimpse into what authors do to create their stories. Using my books as examples, I talk about the ways in which authors observe the world around them, imagine what might be going on behind the scenes, borrow from their own lives and learning, and use words to stitch stories together from the bits and pieces of ideas and information they’ve gathered. My presentations are grade-level specific and touch on many state and common core standards—but even more important, they make writing fun, give students practical tools and inspire them to write.
My evening Family Literacy Program is a slide show with a focus on what my parents did at home that made me and my siblings readers and writers for life—and what other families can do to encourage literacy at home.
At the request of the school, an assembly and/or family literacy presentation may end with an audience sing-along of “Let It Go” from Disney’s FROZEN, with the message that creativity means taking a leap into the unknown and letting go of the need to “get it right” so one can express his or her unique experience and vision.
I visit schools on a full-day basis, and schools may use my time as best fits the needs of their student population. Possible choices:
- 45-60 minute assemblies (K-1, 2-3, 4-5 or K-2, 3-4, 5-6)
- 60 minute classroom writing workshops, 35-student limit (grades 3-6)
- 15-30 minute classroom Q&A sessions, 35-student limit (grades K-6)
- 30 minute “Lunch with the Author” (for 12-15 pre-selected students, grades K-6)
Fee: $1200 plus transportation/travel expense. Schools booking on contiguous days may split travel costs. Discount for schools within 100 miles of Ferndale, WA; please inquire. An evening family literacy event is available for an additional $300.
Note: Many organizations offer grants or sponsorships that can more than cover an author’s expenses and honorarium. (Target grants are some of the easiest to apply for.) Follow the links below for helpful information:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
My professional development sessions are for teachers, librarians and parent volunteers interested in learning how to publish student work in e-book and print form. Publishing projects encourage literacy and creativity and can help schools raise funds for author visits and other educational purposes.
CONFERENCE KEYNOTES/WORKSHOPS
I am available for keynote appearances on my personal creative journey and for conference workshops on a variety of topics related to teaching, writing and publishing. Please inquire.