Check out www.prairiebookings.com for more information about booking me for a school visit
Grades K-12
Colleen will engage the class with an overview of what it takes to get a book published and what the writing process looks like for her. She will share the secrets to becoming a better writer with examples from her own writing. Using a Power Point presentation, Colleen will discuss each of her books and how they move from an idea to a published novel. Colleen will do a reading from one of her novels and answer questions from students. Grades 7-12
Colleen can also focus on one or more of these themes based on her books:
Early Years Presentation: Teaching Mrs. Muddle
Middle Years Presentation: Harvey Comes Home & Harvey Holds His Own
Cli-Sci: What is this new genre and why is it so important? (Pulse Point)
Making the Hard Choices (Sadia, Pulse Point, Blood Brothers)
Developing a Unique Writing Voice (Sadia, Blood Brothers, Finding Hope)
Poetry (Finding Hope)
Or on more general topics:
Story Mapping using an 8-Point Story Arc
Telling your Story
Developing Good Writing Habits
Virtual Visits
$125, 45-60 minutes (may be divided into two 30 minutes) through Skype, Zoom or Teams Writing Workshops ($400 for a half-day (2 hours), but can be negotiated for multiple bookings.) Grades K-2-Colleen’s experience as a preschool, Kindergarten teacher and early years Teacher-Librarian come in handy as she expertly takes students on the journey to create their own group story. Using ideas generated by the students, they will create a story that has characters, a setting, plot, climax and resolution. Colleen will email the final version of the story to the teachers for the children to illustrate and/or read aloud. Each of the stories will have personalized extension writing activities for the classroom teacher to use. Grades 3-8-Colleen will go through the basics of story elements and focus one of the following genres: mystery, adventure or memoir. Colleen has worked extensively with the First Steps for Literacy Program and 6 Traits for Writing with her own students and can deliver a powerful program that reinforces what teachers are already doing in the classroom. Grades 9-12- Colleen will discuss what it means to Write Fearlessly with high school classes.
Colleen will challenge your students to look at a story from a different perspective, develop a character that tests the boundaries of what is familiar and write with compassion and empathy to engage the reader. To arrange a school visit, please contact prairiebookings@gmail.com.