Important Guidelines for Hosting a Writer at Your School

You must discuss the total number of sessions, session length and class size with the writer in advance of your WITS visit.

NEW GUIDELINES for 2011/12: The following guidelines regarding the number of sessions per visit and session length are designed with fairness to the writers as well as the schools in mind. While a WITS visit may last only a few hours at your school, a great deal of preparation is required of the writer before the visit and, in many cases, several hours of driving—all of these factors were taken into consideration when deciding on these guidelines.

We ask that the following general guidelines be respected: a full day WITS visit includes 4-5 sessions, a half day WITS visit includes 2-3 sessions, with each session being approximately 45-55 minutes in length. This is a general framework to assist you in planning— the total number of sessions and session length is at the discretion of the writer and may vary slightly from these guidelines.

For schools with class times longer than one hour we ask that the teacher be prepared with a related activity for the end of the session such as writing thank you notes or feedback for the visiting writer.

Be advised that many writers will require assistance with travel and accommodations. Please read the writers' profiles carefully when making your wish list. If a visit to your school requires a drive of over 2-3 hours, an over night stay may be required by the writer. Many writers are willing to be billeted at the home of a teacher or librarian. It is the school’s responsibility to confirm suitable accomodation with the writer and to make arrangements, including reservations, payment for accommodation, and in some cases meals.

In some instances the school may need to arrange for travel by bus or car-share for those writers who don’t drive and/or don’t own a car.

Be prepared! Make the most of your WITS visit by planning ahead with the writer.

1. Contact the writer well in advance of the visit and again just a week or two before thevisit date.

2. Talk to the writer about important details such as the size and age range of the class or group, the facilities and space you will be working in, and the length of the session(s).

3. Discuss some ways in which the presentation might connect with activities you already have planned in your classroom.

4. Find out what materials are required for the day of the visit, including paper, pens, pencils and other items the writer or students may require.

5. Discuss any special equipment required by the writer, such as tables, chairs, computers, screens, DVD/VCR player, microphones, etc.

6. Ask the writer if they need a particular set up in the room for their presentation.

7. Be sure to ask the writer if they have any personal requirements, such as dietary or health needs that may need to be accommodated during their visit. This is particularly important if a meal is planned during the visit at the school.

Get ready and get reading! Having books on-hand makes all the difference.

Borrow and/or buy books by the writer. It is important that students and teachers and prepared by being familiar with the writers’ works. If your school cannot afford to purchase books, please contact us. While current funds do not allow WFNS to provide books to all participating schools, we are able to provide a limited number of books to a limited number of schools.

In past years, WITS has been lucky to have sponsors who assist with the purchase of books for schools participating in the program. We are extremely grateful for the past support of Canada Post and Bell Aliant. To date, all applications for sponsorship of our books for schools program for 2012/11 have been turned down. We are currently soliciting new sponsorships and welcome any donations to the program. Donations can be made by contacting the WFNS at 902-423-8116 or wits@writers.ns.ca

Get excited! Engaging students in the planning stages can go a long way towards ensuring an excellent WITS visit.

Consider getting students involved in a bake sale or other fundraiser to raise money to buy a few copies for your library. (Don’t forget to ask the author to sign your copies to commemorate the special day!)

Consider sending a letter home telling parents where the book is available locally. Several schools have been successful in partnering with local bookstores to promote the sale of books at a special pricein advance of the visit.
   
Publicize the visit to students, staff and parents in the community.

Post it on your school’s website or facebook pages. Have the students and fellow teachers tweet about it and tell their friends. Many writers have their own website and facebook pages Remember to tag WFNS and/or the writers whenever possible. You might even invite a local newspaper to cover the event. Whenever possible, please let us know about any promotion that you do – we’ll do our best to help spread the word!
 
Read aloud and/or give students time to read independently from the writers’ work. Have students compete in a trivia contest about the author based on the information your find and consider offering one of the author’s books as the prize.

Involve students in research about the writer’s life and works and ask students to prepare questions to ask the writer.

With your students, create an informative and interesting display and/or performance to welcome the author. It could be a banner, a book display or a song. Maybe the students would like to decorate the room based on a theme from the author’s work? Just about anything goes and it’s a great way for students to connect with the author and his/her work.

Make your WITS visit memorable for all!

Greet the writer and re-cap important details, such as the size and age range of the class or group participating in the visit, the kind of space that everyone will be working in, the grade levels involved, and the length of the session.

Introduce and thank the author at the readings or writing workshops.

Remember to greet any local media representatives who may be covering the event and be sure to introduce him/her to the writer.

Take photographs of the author with students, and/or make sketches of the event (in the style of the courtroom artist).

It’s a good idea to have cold water and a drinking glass on hand for the writer.

Be mindful of unnecessary noise and other school activity during your WITS presentation. Is there a band practice in the next room? Is a sports team practicing outside the window? While not always possible, we ask that teachers do what they can to minimize interruptions and distractions.

Make sure computers, cell phones and other electronics equipment are put away or the volume has been muted.

Consider preparing or sharing a refreshment/lunch break with the author during half-day visits*.

Schools are responsible for providing a lunch during full day visits*.

*IMPORTANT: Make food arrangements in advance of the writer's visit and remember to consult with the author about any dietary concerns or special requests they may have.

Offer to help the author pack up after the presentation. Have a few students help you assist the author to his/her car if they have a lot to carry.

Extend your WITS experience after the visit!

Have an informal discussion with students. Have them share their thoughts and experiences while they are fresh in their minds.

Ask students to write a letter of thanks to the author, as a group or individually.

Create a classroom and/or website display, such as a mural of images that reflects the author and his/her work, or a collection of the photos and/or sketches from the day of the visit.
  
Suggest that a group or individual write an article about the visit for the school newspaper or website, a home-and-school newsletter, or the local paper.

Work with the students to help them write short pieces inspired by the WITS visit. Encourage students to write something that models the author’s style or tackles similar themes.

Write and perform a short skit to represent some aspect of the author’s life or excerpts from his/her writing. You might want to video tape the performance for future classes or your website.

Some Practical Considerations for the Thoughtful Host

Don’t surprise your visiting author with major changes to the arrangements. Stick to what you’ve discussed and agreed upon. Remember that many of the writers are delighted to adapt their program to your special needs if you’ve discussed those needs beforehand.

Don't invite a writer during the first or last weeks of a school term, or just before a major holiday when everyone’s thoughts are elsewhere. The best time for a visit is when you’ve had time to read and discuss the writer’s work and had some fun preparing for the visit.

Our experience has demonstrated that the hosting teacher plays a vital role in helping students and writer find a successful meeting point.

Remember: students must be supervised at all times. You know them best and can help the writer get to know them better. Writers cannot be expected to deal with classroom disruptions or discipline.