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Guidelines for a successful school visit

Prepared for Writers in Schools authors by Kate De Goldi

• Preparation for the visit
• Hints on age-appropriateness and concentration spans
• Workshopping
• The visit
• Rules of thumb
• Emergency

Preparation for the visit

It's important to know exactly what you're doing. Managing a good school visit is all in the preparation. Armed with the information you've obtained from the school, prepare what you're doing with each group. In fact, you may be repeating the same talk to three groups until you're well sick of yourself - but you still need to have that well prepared.

If you're workshopping, have the exercises well-sorted; prepare for any photocopying you may need done (and allow enough time for the teacher/librarian to do it), any visual aids etc.

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Some hints on age-appropriateness &concentration spans

New Entrants

These darlings are hilarious, and are invariably well-supervised, but their concentration spans are gnat-like. Keep it brief with them - 15-20 minutes - and make it as interactive as possible. The key is to connect their (nascent) understanding of writing and reading with your writing and books. Get them to see that what you do and what they do are very similar. Ask them about their stories, about good story ideas, about favourite stories (be prepared, though, for hesitancy, for complete amnesia, for wildly tangential answers; be prepared too, to brutally ignore a sea of waving hands so you can move on ...). Your own early school writing books will make great show and tell - and will remind the kids that authors all start where they have started.

• Read to them (from your own book, if it's appropriate) or from a favourite children' s picture book/story book)
• Tell them any good yarns associated with your books, story ideas etc. Tell them the best and worst things about writing
• Tell them how you write (your office, computer, pencils, paints, etc.) Tell them your favourite food...
• Hardware is good - ie: your books, any medals you've won! Art work, of course
• Keep things moving along - high energy is important with NEs. (If you're seated, NEs often creep up close and play with your shoe laces, or stroke your feet...).

Years 3, 4, 5 and 6

These kids are well-launched solo readers and generally on-to-it. They can cope with 30-40 minutes. They still like the personal aspects of the writing and the how - but they'll manage more sophisticated notions, too - what makes a good story; how ideas come together; how the world around provides ideas; how story structure works; the interesting life of language; word play; the interconnections between story and image, etc. They're interested in the publishing process. They benefit especially from some talk about re-writing, revision, the business of 'getting stuck'. They love being read to and talking about their favourite books. It's useful to intersperse a talk with questions to the kids - ask them stuff about writing/reading/illustration - rather than talk solidly for 30 minutes. Leave time for them to ask questions, too.

Intermediate School

Years 7 & 8 are a little more cool than lower and middle primary. They sometimes take a while to warm up; they may not give you as much facial response, or answer your questions as readily and enthusiastically. DON'T take it personally. They're still keen, their sweetness 'problems' (how to end stories; how to get ideas; how to write 'poetically'...). This age group is often beginning to move away from text, from book-centred story and devote their time to interactive computer games, TV, film, graphic novels. It's often useful, then, to indicate your enthusiasm (if you genuinely feel it!) for these other story forms -good TV and film, interesting comics and graphic novels, to talk about the features that all good stories - no matter what medium - have in common. These guys can do up to 45 minutes, but leave them hanging out for more, rather than overdoing it. They're good to workshop with too but keep the numbers to 10 or below. As a general rule, it's more profitable to talk to individual classes (between 25-30 kids, depending on the school). Sometimes the school may want you to talk to combined classes for convenience, timetabling reasons etc. If you're comfortable addressing big groups, no problem. If you're not comfortable with that, tell the school firmly that you prefer no more than 30 at a time.

High School

Generalisations:
Year 9 (3rd formers) sweet, eager, well-behaved, co-operative, responsive.
Year 10 (4th formers) depending on the time of year, (more feral in 3rd and 4th terms) - cool, more challenging, less facially responsive, longer warm-up time, won't laugh so readily but, underneath it all, hearts of gold!! Again, don't take it at all personally if they're unresponsive in the group. They'll often come up afterwards and talk to you individually.
Year 11 (5th form) more sophisticated, more self-controlled, more responsive.
Years 12/13 (6th and 7th) more like 3rd formers. They're rediscovered enthusiasm and enquiry. They're lovely to work with. All levels LOVE to be read to. It doesn't happen in their normal school day and they reinhabit their childish selves when you do it to them. As with primary school students - try and engage these kids with questions about their reading/writing/television/film/graphic novel/comic experiences. Many of them won't read, because they don't have time - but they'll be engaged with some form of story (TV, computer games). They're often major genre bugs. And still big picture book readers. Find out whether it's SF, Fantasy, Thriller and Gothic that spins their wheels - ask them why. Despite their body language and facial expressions often seeming to suggest the contrary, high school students most respond to PASSION. Be passionate about your writing/illustrating/reading. Communicate to them that the writing life is one worth living. But let them know, too, that you live and breathe in the real world, as they do.

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Workshopping

Try to keep workshop sizes at less than 15 students. 90 minutes is an optimum time for a workshop. Suggest to the teacher that the workshopping students be selected for enthusiasm - (not just 'talent' - a highly debatable definition at the best times).

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The Visit

Allow yourself plenty of time to get there, (and for wrong turnings) so you're not stressed by running late.

• Arrive 15 minutes - at least - ahead of your first class
• remember your contact's name
• settle yourself in your room (if you're in the one place)
• don't hesitate to ask for what you need.

Remember: your visit is a treat for everyone - teachers and students included. They'll be dead appreciative of your coming. You're providing an injection of freshness and enthusiasm for the class and teacher and school.

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Rules of Thumb

• A good, enthusiastic teacher will listen along with their class while you talk to them or workshop with them
• A well-organised teacher/librarian will have let all parts of the school (including the office) know that you are coming
• A 'together' school will introduce you to the staff and welcome you at morning-tea time!
• A really together teacher will introduce you to the principal and HOD English!

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Emergency

If for some reason a class goes completely feral - you don't have to put up with it. Tell them quietly that they're wasting your time - and absent yourself till they pull themselves together. You are their guest and they should treat you with respect. The reverse applies as well, of course.

ENJOY IT!!!

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