Tips for Teachers: Author Visits Part Ten – The Day of the Visit 1
On the day of the author visit, have someone meet the author as they arrive and offer tea or coffee in the staffroom, if there’s still half an hour or so before they begin speaking with the students.
Be sure to let the author know if there have been any minor changes to the schedule. Perhaps one of the classes is on a field trip? Maybe there’s a sports team practice you weren’t aware of or something else that required an unexpected minor adjustment to the day’s agenda? The author is usually able to adapt to things like this. However, it’s good to let them know if they’ll be seeing classes in a different order or if a group’s session has been reduced from sixty minutes to only forty five minutes, for example.
Make sure the room is all set up properly, that the flipchart or whiteboard, if requested, is there and has markers that actually work or that any equipment such as projectors are connected and working. Provide a glass or bottle of water for the author and if you have such equipment in the school, provide a microphone, even if the author decides not to use it.
Advise the author if you have any students with special needs in the audience. This could involve deaf or hard of hearing children, for example, who may require the author to wear an FM unit for the duration of their presentation. And remember to start the sessions on schedule. The author may have a set time for their presentation and even five minutes may make a difference, particularly if he or she has promised time for questions and it isn’t possible because of the the group’s late arrival.
