Author Archives: Alexis

Crowd Control: Special Issues

Crowd Control_Kids_Huntington_Beach_Jan_2007Let’s say you got the kids to settle down and your program started off with a bang. And then something happens.

  • A kid throws up.
  • A kid keeps talking with a classmate.
  • A kid shouts out.
  • Adults carry on conversations.

 What do you do?

I’ll give you some tips — but first, here’s a Very Important Rule:

Never Ever Embarrass a Kid or Teacher

Presume innocence. Kids and adults usually don’t realize they’re doing something annoying. Or consider that the child might have special needs (autism, Tourettes, etc.).

So, here are some strategies that might help.

A kid throws up.: This happened to me once. But the teachers and custodian were on the problem so fast, the kid was off to the nurse’s office and the spot cleaned up with barely a stir. It’s okay to acknowledge the problem and call for assistance if no one sees it happening. However, if you dwell on it, so will the kids.  Show sympathy and keep on going.

 A kid keeps talking with a classmate. If a kid keep chatting with a neighbor, first I stand near them and catch their eye. If that doesn’t work and they talk through my “criss-cross applesauce – hands folded on your lap” directions, I cover the microphone, bend down toward the kids and ask quietly, “Is everything okay?” This usually gets them to focus. If it doesn’t, and the chatting persists, I may quietly ask one of them to sit by their teacher.

 A kid shouts out. Before I ask a question to the larger group, I’ll say, “Raise your hand if you know the answer . . .” so they know what behavior I expect.  When I’m calling on volunteers to come to the stage, I say, “I need volunteers – but I’m only going to call on kids who are polite. That means, you’re sitting down, your hand is raised and your face shows me that you really, really want to be called on without calling out my name or saying ‘Oooo! Oooo!’”  Showing the behavior you expect from your audience can head problems off at the pass.

Adults carry on conversations. This is going to happen. Teachers are with kids all day. When they see other adults, it’s catch-up time! They’ll usually stop chatting when you begin your presentation, but if they don’t, move close to them, as you do with the kids, and catch their eye. If they persist, you can cover the microphone and ask in a very sincere voice, “Did you have a question you wanted to ask me?”  This usually works.

Finally, here’s a note about room set-up and crowd control –

In elementary schools, kids are used to sitting on the floor of the multipurpose room. I have them sit with an aisle up the middle so I can get close to as many kids as possible quickly. In middle schools and high schools however, students generally sit in an auditorium with folding seats, and organizers place speakers at a podium on the stage, far away and above the audience.  But if you can break that distance and present from the floor, closer to the kids, you’ll have a much better chance of creating a bond with the audience and keeping things moving along without disruption.

Crowd Control: Starting Your Program

Google - Angry Mob - Cartoon2

There’s a buzz in the room.  Kids are excited to see you – to see each other – to be out of the classroom for something special. The kindergarteners are twisting around to talk with each other – some are stretched out on the floor. 

Your time is limited, the classes have come late and you have a lot to accomplish in your assembly or workshop. Is it really necessary to get them totally quiet and focused before you begin your program? 

Yes. It’s really necessary.

Do not begin until the audience is quiet and focused — even if it takes you all day (and it won’t). Why? If you show kids at the start that you are in control, you’ll be able to rein them in more easily during your assembly if things get a little chatty. They’ll appreciate it (kids do love rules and order, believe it or not) – and the teachers will love you (they want to have fun in your assembly, too, and not be disciplinarians).

The worst thing you can do is attempt to talk over the chaos. No one will hear you. And once kids know that you don’t mean it when you call for quiet, they’ll continue to ignore your requests. 

Here are some tips for getting – and maintaining – crowd control. 

Greet the kids & teachers as they come into the room. I stand by the multipurpose room door, saying hello to kids as they walk by and shaking teachers’ hands.  This is a subtle way of showing them that they are guests in “my” space and that I know that they exist. As classes are getting seated, I also circulate and ask the older kids, “What books are you reading now.”  This extra eye contact forges a stronger bond with them before the program begins.

Have a “quiet down” signal. Most schools have a physical symbol that means “Quiet down right now.” Ask your host what it is and use it when you need to.

Don’t be afraid to wait. For particularly chatty groups, it may take a bit of time to have the quiet spread, but it will. Don’t give up too soon.

Say, “Criss-cross applesauce.” I do mostly elementary assemblies where kids are seated on the floor. During the interactive parts of my program, kids get excited and a bit wound-up.  But to bring them back, I say, “Criss-cross applesauce” which gets them back to the “listening” position.  If that alone doesn’t work, I’ll add, “Hands on laps,” and demonstrate it.  And. Wait. Until. They’re. Ready. For. The. Next. Part. Of. The. Program.

A last resort. If you’ve tried everything and there are still too many distractions to begin, you can always say, “Teachers? Can you lend a hand?” and they’ll jump in.

Everyone in the school is excited to have you there. When they know that you’re “in charge,” they can relax and have a good time. They’ll know that, even if things get a bit wild, you can lead them back to civilization where great experiences await!

Read Across America Invitations

Google - Read Across America Logo‘Tis the season for emails requesting our presence as Read Across America readers in elementary schools throughout the country.  Often, the greeting on the email is “Hi.”  This usually means that the host is casting the same message to countless authors & illustrators, hoping to reel in one or two live ones.  Occasionally, the greeting will be personalized as in, “Dear [insert name of author here]” with a generic message following it.  And in the very best emails, they might even mention the title of one or more of your books.

Usually, the schools want you to be part of their celebration which translates to, “Would you be interested in being one of the readers for the event? You can read in as many classrooms as you feel comfortable.”

Really? Go all that way just to read a book aloud?  And be one of many, many readers on a day filled with adults and kids in Cat in the Hat chapeaux and principals shaving their heads because kids have read a trillion pages?

And we won’t even mention that you are being asked to donate your time.

Frankly, I love that this celebration exists.  It gives a national platform to a very important topic.  And I’m very gracious when I turn down these requests.  But, my own talents as a writer, encourager, and teacher are better off being used at a quieter time when I can do my magic not as someone who can rock a read-aloud, but as someone who can offer kids specific advice on how to improve their writing, revel in their revisions, and read, read, read.  And read not just to count pages accomplished – but to read to lead a better, fuller life.

Do you have any Read Across America Stories you’d like to share?  Tell us here!

Call in Your Questions to Brain Burps!

What burning questions do you have about school visits?

You might be a newly published author or illustrator, someone who’s multiply published, or someone who’s returning after a break from the biz.  You might even be an editor or agent who would love for their authors to make contact with kids in schools.  Here’s some good news for you.

Brain Burps Logo-smKatie Davis is going to interview me on the topic of school visits on her popular kidlit podcast, Brain Burps About Books.  I would LOVE for you to call her voicemail hotline at 888-522-1929 before February 7 with any questions you might have about school visits.  Your questions might be about

  • creating a program
  • getting gigs
  • crowd control
  • writing contracts
  • selling books

 – whatever is on your mind!

It would also be great if you have any funny or strange school visit stories to share.  I’ll answer questions on the show, and Katie will bring in stories to round out the episode. 

Though fairly new (since August 2010), Katie tells me that the show grows daily – she’s had over 7000 downloads in over 50 countries and Brain Burps About Books is #1 in the iTunes store in Children’s Publishing!

Please help spread the word about children’s literature by telling people about the show, and about calling in for my episode before Feb. 7 at 888-522-1929.

SCBWI Metro NY Talk – Getting Gigs, Delivering the Goods

MetroNY-SCBWI

With my winter coat on my back, boots on my feet and scarf wrapped tightly around my neck, this California gal is in New York for the SCBWI Winter Conference.  But the fun continues afterwards.  I’ll be visiting two schools on Long Island, then heading back to speak at The Professional Series sponsored by Metro NY SCBWI on February 1, 2011 where I’ll be giving authors, illustrators and industry professionals the lowdown about  “Getting Gigs and Delivering the Goods.” 

Location: The Anthroposophical Society, New York Branch,
138 West 15th Street (between 6th Avenue & 7th Avenue).

Time: 7:30pm-9:30pm. Doors open at 7:15pm

School Visit Tips for 2011: Part 3

This is our third group of tips for school visits to get you off to a good start this season.

Google - Snowflaes & Tree

When choosing dates for a visit that will occur during snow season, I always ask the school to choose two dates: our preferred date and a snow date. This way, I’m sure to have at least one “convenient” day (for them and me) reserved on my calendar in case we need to postpone the visit.  — Janet Wong

 I used to actually turn down school talks because I couldn’t handle the crowd control aspect.  I was a teacher early on in my career, but motivating students had been my strong suit, not discipline.  Then I realized that it wasn’t my job to control 200 students [as guest author], and I made that clear. I explained that I’d try the clapping routine (clap, clap–clap, clap, clap), but if that didn’t work, I was going to turn around and wait for the adults in the room to restore order.  It worked like a charm.  As soon as it was quiet again, I’d turn back to the students.  Sometimes, I’d spend that time straightening my props.  The students gave me very little trouble after the first time I turned away, and I could relax and have fun motivating the students, which was what I was best at.   Betsy Franco 

A number of times I’d run into schools who felt it was too “commercial” to offer my books to the kids. However, teachers often bought them from the stack I had stashed away in my second roll-around case.  — Mary D. Wade

Would you ever go to someone’s house as a guest and not bring a hostess gift? No. You wouldn’t. So I ALWAYS bring hostess gifts – a signed book, or a piece of art. Organizing these things are HARD.   — Katie Davis

Whenever I’m fortunate enough to speak at a conference or event that goes well, I ask the organizer if I may suggest author friends for the next one.  Marc Tyler Nobleman

Ask to stay at a hotel (so you can rest) instead of someone’s home, because you’ll always be ON STAGE in someone’s home.  — Wendie Old

After all these years I still stay in people’s homes. In fact, I have met some great dogs this way.  — Deborah Hopkinson

Google - Hound Dogs

If you have school visit tip, be sure to add it in our comment section!

School Visit Tips for 2011: Part 2

Here are a few more helpful school visit tips for you from expert presenters. After this, watch for one more post on this topic! 

Google - Actor on StageGet there early to give yourself time to relax.  Because you are ON STAGE, performing, the minute you get out of your car.  Giving yourself 15 to 20 minutes to simply sit there in your car “Vegging out” helps you to relax, refresh, and recover from the drive.  I sometimes even close my eyes and doze for a few minutes.  If you are afraid you’ll sleep the morning away in your car, set the alarm on your iPhone (or equivalent), or take along a kitchen timer. — Wendie Old 

I always say [to the audience] that I’ll bet they don’t believe that I used to be very shy, afraid to speak up, and never in front of a crowd.  That you can always learn to be less shy, and everyone has felt shy about expressing themselves at some point.  This establishes a really nice rapport, I’ve found, and is really an important gift you are giving to a lot of them.  — Joanne Rocklin

Create coloring pages, activity sheets, and other “hands on” projects that can bProject - ZEBRA - Caroline Arnold09-sme downloaded from your website and used in the classroom to build up knowledge and interest in your books before or after your visit. Include this information in a packet sent to the librarian before your visit. I love going to schools and see walls of cut paper zebras created from the template on the web page for my book A Zebra’s World.  No two zebra’s are ever alike!  — Caroline Arnold

 Find out ahead of time if there are any parking issues at the school, and also find out which door visitors are to enter by.  If you are leaving the house extremely early, make sure you have an emergency phone number for your contact – i.e. home phone number or personal cell number.  – Marsha Skrypuch

Flexibility is key. Although your program is the central event in your mind, many other situations are happening all day long in the school which you are visiting.  I have had a fire drill in the middle of my presentations, an electrical failure throughout the school, a principal in a gorilla suit climbing a 3 story ladder fulfilling his promise to stay on the roof for the day if the students had read 5000 books, a child throwing up all over the front row of children, and once, just as the children streamed through the door, the lamp on my power point projector blew.  I learned early on to laugh, take what happens and make it work. And who knows… there might be a book in it someday.  — Kay Winters

If you have school visit tip, be sure to add it in our comment section!

School Visit Tips for 2011: Part 1

Here are some helpful tips for you from expert presenters as we swing into High Author Visit Season.  Because there are so many great bits of advice, I’ve broken them up into three posts, so watch for them.

Google - Child & Cell Phone

To break the ice with a roomful of kindergartners, ask them to reach into their pockets… and please turn off their cellphones.  Their reaction — after a second or two — is priceless. — Chris Barton
 

Check, check and double check with the event coordinator regarding equipment needs, schedule, length of program, etc.  It’s amazing how many times I’ve shown up at a school and found a “surprise” after we had already discussed details.  I always send a “Just want to confirm . . .” email a few days before the visit.  Barbara O’Connor

I make a point of introducing myself to all the adults in the room, both teachers and parents, and shaking their hands with a smile. Often teachers feel too shy to introduce themselves, but I find that if I do so, we create a bond or link that makes them more interested in the presentation. Taking the initiative also helps me feel friendlier and more empathetic towards the teachers and parents — you tend not to resent people whose hands you’ve shaken and with whom you’ve exchanged a friendly smile and word. It’s easy and it’s effective.   — Rachna Gilmore

Regarding Skype visits: 1) To keep the transmission from skipping, freezing or disconnecting, make sure your computer is plugged into your router, rather than going completely wireless.  (And make sure the school at the other end does the same!)  2. TURN OFF YOUR PHONE!  3. TURN OFF YOUR CAT OR DOG! (Or lock them out of your office during your presentation.)  — Lee Wardlaw

For about the first year or more of school visiting, I always brought stamped, self-addressed envelopes with me and gave them, along with a short questionnaire, to every adult in each assembly I did.  Yes, every adult: teacher, principal, school librarian, secretary and parents.  I asked for suggestions on how to make my presentations more relevant.  I asked them to tell me how to improve my physical appearance for presenting or the choreography of my presentation. (One teacher told me to cut my bangs, as they couldn’t quite see my eyes–how would I have known this?)  I learned to keep the questions to one short page…and not overwhelm them with too many questions or they wouldn’t return them…they have too much on their desks!  After 400+ school visits (throughout the USA and in international schools and military base schools in Europe) later, these evaluations helped shape my presentations to this day. — April Halprin Wayland

I come with an extension cord, duct tape to keep the cords down, my own tea bags, water, almonds and extra granola bars in case there is no lunch.  When driving, I bring a back-up projector.  — Deborah Hopkinson

Try to leave [the audience] with something tangible to actually take back to the classroom or home. It would be a work of art we each do, or the start of a new story.  Anything that they can show off to others.  — Mike Rex

If you have school visit tip, be sure to add it in our comment section!

Case Study: A Happy Ending

FAla & Roosevelt in Car

F.D.R. and his dog, Fala - the subject of one of Elizabeth Van Steenwyk's books.

My favorite present ever is when writers and illustrators tell me of how I helped them be successful in some part of their career. So in the spirit of the holiday season, I’m sharing this happy ending “gift” I received from Elizabeth Van Steenwyk.who sought my school visit advice this past summer.  (See post on 09 01 10,  “Case Study: Designing a Program for First and Second Graders”)

Elizabeth was invited to speak at her hometown school in Galesburg, Illinois. But she “felt out of touch with my audience,” she wrote to her agent.  “After hundreds of school visits over the years, I suddenly needed guidance so I called my friend, Alexis O’Neill who has become an expert in the field.  Over the telephone she said, ‘You’ve got a lot of dogs in your body of work.’  And she was right.  In the space of fifteen minutes we crafted a presentation around dogs in my books and the rest was a piece of cake.”

In a library setting, Elizabeth gave three talks to students in grades 2-6. Each talk changed slightly with the age of the children.

She began her presentation with a PowerPoint scrolling as the kids arrived.  The visuals showed dogs and their owners — teachers, family, movie stars, rock singers, and historical dogs.  Elizabeth writes, “It kept the noise level down and attention locked in place. The PowerPoint, created by the librarian, was absolutely great and kicked off my talk perfectly.”  Elizabeth then talked about her dogs books and segued into what she always includes: constructing a book with suggestions from her audience, a Q and A,  and a conclusion which included an invitation to everyone to come up and pet the stuffed animal version of Fala (the subject of one of her books) on their way back to class.

“Every child, all 370 of them, even cool fifth graders came up and petted my stuffed Fala dog,” she says. “That way, I was able to talk or say hello to each and every child.

At the luncheon with the teachers, all the decorations were dog-related:  dog biscuits (for people), paw candy, and tablecloths imprinted with dog pictures. Afterwards, she signed books. “I would call it a successful day all round,” Elizabeth writes. After being out of the loop for a few years, this experienced writer appreciated a little creative brainstorming to get her presentation back on track.

Elizabeth found a way to engage the kids in a new way, focus their attention at the opening of her session and connect with each child individually, eyeball to eyeball.  

I love that the word “present” is in “presentation.” This happy ending is truly a wonderful present!

Joyful holidays to you all!

How to Add Gigs When Traveling

Cactus _Casa Grande_AZWhen my husband had to travel to Arizona recently, I went along, adding a school visit gig to sweeten the trip. Here’s how I did it.

 I didn’t know anyone in the smallish town where he was going to be headquartered, but I went to the school district’s website and found the email addresses of the 9 elementary school principals.  I wrote: “I just wanted to let you know that I am going to be traveling from California to your town in October. While I’m there, I would love to visit your school for an author visit.  I’m available on Friday, October 22. The only expense would be my honorarium since I’ll already be in town.”

 The email included a brief bio, how my books connect with the curriculum, and links to my website and on-line interviews.

This yielded a visit!  As it turned out, one school had just featured two of my books in a character education program the week before my note arrived, so my timing for them was perfect.  The school loved that they didn’t have to pay for travel or lodging.

If your search of public schools in an area doesn’t turn up any takers, author Bruce Hale recommends trying private schools.  He writes:

These days, I’ve been doing lots of add-on gigs when I know I’ll be in a particular city.  Since most public schools aren’t rolling in bucks these days, I visit privateschoolreview.com, plug in the city, and start cold-calling schools.

 Most times, I literally call the schools cold, with no lead or introduction. Sometimes I’ll send an email first, if the contact person and email address are evident on the school’s website. Often the principal is the decision-maker, but in some of the larger private schools, the librarian controls a portion of the budget and can decide whether or not to hire you.   

In general, I’ve had better luck with the larger private schools (look for the number of students on the website listing), but sometimes 2-3 smaller schools are willing to band together to split a day’s visits.  I’ve found that you often have to call a lot of schools before you hit paydirt, but cold calls get easier with time.”

So, whether you inquire by email or are brave enough to do this by phone call like Bruce, letting schools know that you’re in town and available can be a plus for both the school and the author.