Contents
Before the event:
Build some engagement and excitement about the visit. There are lots of ways you can do this. Here are few suggestions:
- Tell pupils about the event in an assembly. You could share the author/illustrator’s book(s), website, maybe read a little snippet, especially a part that leaves them on a cliffhanger wanting more!
- Tell pupils and families about the event in the school newsletter and/or on school social media. A shared buzz for the event will help build momentum.
- Pop the author/illustrator’s book(s) in your reading area and our poster too. Make sure you keep mentioning it a week before the event. You could add a simple countdown to your display.
- Spend some time talking to pupils about the kinds of questions they may like to ask the author/illustrator.
- Think about how you’d like to follow up after the event. Will you give pupils time to do some writing/illustrating inspired by the virtual visit? Will you read together afterwards? Could you set a competition, making best use of the engagement?
It’s a good idea to check your tech is in good order before the event day. Things to consider:
- Does your webcam work? Is it pointing in the right direction?
- Is your microphone working? Where will children need to stand to be heard if they are asked to share their idea or question with the author/illustrator?
- Where do you as adult need to sit to use the chat facility and control the microphone on and off. Does this work for classroom management?
On the event day:
- Log in in plenty of time (5 mins before so that we can check you in)
- Make sure pupils are settled and ready. A keeping busy task can be good to keep pupils calm and quiet as you wait to be let in to the zoom room.
- We will let you know if pupils require equipment to join in with interactive activities, such as writing tools. If so, have these at the ready.
- MAKE SURE your school name and class name on are on your Zoom profile. This really helps when we interact with different classes.
- As the adult, be engaged and focussed on the event. Model to the pupils what it looks like to be a good audience.
- Have pupils ready to share questions so we can keep good pace in the sessions.