Tag Archives: California Reading and Literature Project

Go Deeper: Multi-session Writing Workshops

If you’re like me, we do school visits that are typically one-shot, Big Events. For example, my visits typically involve doing large-group assemblies and smaller writing workshops for upper-grade kids all on the same day. But here’s something I’ve done recently that I love:  working with a single classroom in my local community over a period of time with primary school kids.

WORKING WITH FIRST GRADERS: In 2014, I took part in a creative collaboration with a seasoned first grade teacher, Kristen Nordstrom. We met at a conference and wondered if first graders would be able and willing to apply revision techniques to make their nonfiction writing “pop.”

Kristen scheduled me for three sessions with the kids in late spring. They were about to work on their African Animals project. Part of my role was to add “star power” to the mix — a published author who has worked through the exact same process that they were about to begin.

Session 1 (1:15 hrs): I demonstrated my research process with the class.

  • I showed them a photo of a horned lizard and had them generate wonder questions based on an image of the animal.
  • We practiced how to use those questions as a research guide.
  • I shared my rough drafts, the “final” piece, the revisions I had to make as requested by the editor, and the published article.
  • We generated examples of “juicy” verbs to catch a reader’s attention.

Session 2 (1:30 hrs): I visited the classroom 5 weeks later. In the meantime, Kristen was doing the heavy-lifting. She taught mini-lessons on verbs, similes and metaphors, research and drafting. I met with small groups and gave feedback on their works in progress. The purpose was to help them come up with attention-getting openings.

Session 3 (1:30 hrs): At my last visit, kids shared their final books with me and reflected on their writing and revising process. They were proud of their opening “hooks.”

To see the results, take a look at a short film featuring the young writers, filmed by older students:

This project led to Kristen and I doing teacher workshops for her school district and for the California Reading & Literature Project at California Lutheran University. 14 Lang Ranch - Teacher Workshop

WORKING WITH SECOND AND THIRD GRADERS: In 2015, I did a collaboration with another creative teacher, Kathi Byington, in her grade 2/3 combination class. They chose to do a biography project featuring American peacemakers.

Session 1 (1 hr.): Meet-the-author / research process introduction

15 Aspen Projects - Frederick Douglass & Harriet TubmanSessions 2, 3, and 4 (1 hr each):  Students met with me in “we-are-all-authors” critique groups. We shared feedback. The goal was for each to produce a book to enter into the Young Authors’ Faire sponsored by the Ventura County Reading Association. http://www.vcrareading.org/  As with Kristen, Kathi did many lessons with students in-between my visits. I served more to reinforce and extend than to relay information.

Session 5 (1:30 hrs): Publication Party. We “launched” their books with treats. The kids talked with me individually about their projects and writing. The result was a deeper connection with these young writers than could have been accomplished in a single-day visit. The students invited me to their “Living Museum” and “ A Midsummer Night’s Dream” performances, and met me at the local Young Authors’ Fair.

 

15 YAF - Aspen Elem - Kathi Byington & Alexis O'NeillWhy not talk with a local teacher and see if you can forge a creative collaboration in the next school year! Or if you’re already doing this, please leave a comment below and share what you’ve been doing. I’d love to hear from you.

Proposing Sessions at Conferences

I love going to conferences.Reading. Library. Social Studies. As an author, it’s the best way to meet dedicated teachers, librarians and decision-makers.

Sometimes, invitations are sent my way. For example, last week, I presented workshops at a summer literacy workshop for K-12 educators sponsored by the California Reading and Literature Project at California Lutheran University. My two sessions included teachers, principals, and even an assistant superintendent. These are my people! Influencers. Kid-lovers. And I had a chance to show them, using examples from my books, strategies for research and revision that I’ve learned from years of being a children’s author.

But you don’t have to wait for invitations. Be proactive. Make a list of national organizations that serve a population that would benefit from your book. Also search for contact information for their local affiliates (i.e for the International Reading Association, state affiliate is the California Reading Association and my county affiliate is the Ventura County Reading Association). Find out when they hold their conferences and submit a proposal. But don’t just focus on the reading and library conferences. Seek out organizations that relate to the content hooks in your book – math, science, history.

About proposals. When you submit a proposal independently to conference organizers, consider putting together a team. I used to evaluate proposals for a national conference for teachers. My boss leaned toward ones that had more than one presenter. Why? Because it meant more bodies at the conference, more income for the organization. So consider inviting a local university person, librarian or bookseller to moderate a panel of authors on a topic related to the conference’s theme.

If you’re having difficulty breaking in, study past conference programs and contact the author presenters to see how they landed a session. Ask them for advice. Ask for advice, too, from local teachers or librarians.  What slant would appeal to them most? Authors sharing research techniques? Writing techniques? Revision techniques? Do a little digging and you’ll come up with some nuggets.

 NOTE: See related post on 01-01-13, Focus Your Gig-Getting Energies in the New Year   

(My thanks to Mary Cronk Farrell, author of Journey to the Top of the World: How One Woman Found the Courage and Commitment to Climb Mount Everest, for the inspiration for this post!)