Ward Elementary Author Visit on 4/12/13

Friday marked the day I participated in my second author visit. This particular school, Ward Elementary, was an honor, because my oldest, Mackenzie, attends school there. It was a very cool feeling to come in,  not only as a mom, but as a professional, kind of like Career Day, but only featuring me and my book!

When introducing myself, I asked the group of approximately 250 students if they knew who Mackenzie was, and about 75% of them  raised their hands. This, of course, didn't surprise me at all since my girl is a social butterfly and loves to talk to ANYONE and EVERYONE. Needless to say, she was the coolest kid yesterday because everyone thought it was so awesome that her mom was an author.

 After introducing myself, I told the students and teachers some cool facts about me, one of which included a video of me being spun in microgravity on the Zero G plane. Can we say A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

After cool facts, we did some activities about jobs in the community, I read the book out loud and the students took the "I Know I Can" pledge. The words come from the chorus of Nas' song, "I Can," which was released in 2003, on his album, God's Son. Trust an believe I cited that bad boy in my Prezi because I wanted to make sure credit was given where it was due, which sometimes people tend to forget to do or don't do at all. Wish I could let the kiddos listen to the whole song, but somehow, I doubt the teachers or parents want their kids hearing some of the lyrics, even though the message is good; however, thanks Nas for an amazing song, just the same!

We had a Q & A session, and I loved hearing all the questions that the students and teachers had for me. Note to myself for next time: have each class in each grade level participating come up with a question as a group and request to have them ready prior to my arrival. With a list of predetermined questions with the associated class teacher's name and grade level, this would allow for a smoother Q & A session. This way, I don't feel bad when some children aren't selected to ask a question because we are running out to time. Also, it is a safeguard for the same question not to be asked multiple times.

 I'm not going to lie, it felt good to sell some books, but THE...BEST...PART was definitely when some of the students asked me for hugs, waved at me as they left the library and said thank you for the fun presentation. One little girl asked me to autograph the palm of her hand. I would have so totally done it to feel like a rock star, but I didn't want her to get in trouble with her parents when she got home.

SIDENOTE: though the book is geared for girls, the boys were just as interactive during the presentation as the girls, and enjoyed it equally. I even had a few book orders from the boys. Now, that is what I call winning! Sorry Mr. Sheen, but you ain't got nothing on me and what I am trying to accomplish with my book. ;-) (<--- This last sentence is definitely the Houstonian coming out of me y'all...LOL!)

 After the presentation concluded, Mackenzie's teacher came up to me and told me that she loved the fact that I used Prezi rather than a boring old PowerPoint presentation (no offense Microsoft). By the way, if you haven't used Prezi, I highly recommend it. It's very interactive and keeps your audience (especially children) engaged. Only downside is that your presentation is accessible to the public, well the free version at least. So glad I figured that out before I included all the pages of my book on it. Instead, I use the pdf copy my illustrator  provided me, turned the pdf into a PowerPoint slide show using the book's physical dimensions and facilitated the book reading from the computer. This proved to be a success because it was large enough for all the children to see, versus me reading the actual book.

All is all, it was a great author visit, and I can't wait to schedule more. Remember, I don't charge for author visits in the Houston and surrounding areas. I only request reimbursement of mileage to and from the venue, and the only money made is through book orders, which are discounted at a lower rate for author visits.

East author visit is a learning experience and a way for me to improve my presentation based on feedback I received for future visits. There are some vital bits of information that I left out, that I didn't realize until I sat down with the Librarian and had a nice conversation about. Needless to say, I will be updating my presentation (again). Onward and upward, right?

Lastly, if you are interested, here's the link the my Prezi, http://prezi.com/reoit6sng3ho/sharon-griffin-author-visit-presentation/. If you've never heard of it, again, I highly recommend you take a look. It's a great tool that can be used for anything, and it's FREE!

Oh yeah, before I forget, Kenzie informed me that one of her friends said that my author visit was the best one he's been to. I honestly don't know how many author visits Ward is used to getting, but the fact that HE made that statement truly made my day. Making a difference in a child's life is one of the most fulfilling feelings EVER!!! What a great way to finish out the week and start the weekend with.

Until next time...

~SVG~

My First Author Visit

Date: February 27, 2013
School: Benbrook Elementary in Houston, TX

 

 

There are many words that can describe experiencing my first author visit, but the one word that comes to mind is...REWARDING!  Knowing that all my hard work from writing my children's book, to finding an illustrator who got my vision, to creating my own publishing company and lastly, seeing the final product presented to your targeted audience is exhilarating.  Seeing all the smiling faces of the kids and their excitement during the presentation is very inspiring. What I enjoyed the most was after the presentation concluded, many of the kids came up to me, hugged me and told me that they loved the book. Even though the book is geared for girls, the boys were even telling me they loved the book.

I am a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason, with the divine intervention of God of course! Today, that was reaffirmed by my first author visit. For the first time in my life, I feel like this is the career I was meant to have. Although I've enjoyed my past job experiences, nothing can compare to what I felt today. Some of the puzzle pieces of my life are beginning to fit into place.

Puzzle Piece #1 – In 2003, I wrote a short essay titled, "Sharon - Future Psychologist," for a scholarship. Interestingly enough, my short essay was published in; get this...Authors of Tomorrow!

Puzzle Piece #2 –I had my daughter in 2005, then the next one and so on and so forth, all the way to number 4! I was meant to create strong and independent future leaders!

Puzzle Piece #3 – Upon completion of my Master’s degree (and a year’s worth of job searches), I landed a job as a Program Coordinator in the Education Office at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). My job consisted of recruiting minority high school and college students going into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields for paid technical internships. I also had the opportunity to manage the Pre-Service Teacher Institute program, which allowed pre-service teachers throughout the nation an opportunity to come to JSC for a week long workshop, where they learned to incorporate NASA approved Math and Science curriculum into their future classrooms, along with the use of different technologies. I also had the pleasure of planning and supporting NASA’s presence at the Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology Conference (HESTEC), down in Edinburg, TX, on the University of Texas – Pan American campus for two years in a row.

Puzzle Piece #4 – While working at NASA JSC, I also taught General Psychology, as an adjunct professor at San Jacinto College.

There are many more puzzle piece that fit into the larger picture, but at this time, these are the pieces that stand out the most. I believe each of these components is God’s way of saying, “Hey Sharon, you keep doing your thing, but I have a better plan in mind for you.” My short essay, in a way, foreshadowed what I would do in the future. At the time, it was a means to help pay for college but little did I realize that this publication would mean more to me in the future.

My job at JSC allowed me to connect with many of the women who will be showcased on this blog. I also connected with four cohorts of pre-service teachers, many of them now in their own classrooms. Possible author visits? Yes, I do believe so!

As an adjunct, I had to prepare my lecture materials, tests/assessments, grade assignments, report metrics and present lecture materials to the students. This allowed me to firm up my organization skills and perfect my public speaking skills, which is still a learning process. I believe this was a way for me to get over my stage fright and become comfortable speaking in front of crowds, both big and small.  Don’t get me wrong, I still get nervous at the beginning, but it's taking me less and less time to get comfortable and start being my true self.

It's all about bring it all back full circle and if all these are signs that I was meant to do what I did today, then I’m glad I’m on the path that was destined for me. I have always loved children, but knew I wasn’t cut out to be an elementary school teacher; therefore, being an author and visiting schools is the best of both worlds. I get to interact with the children in a fun and enjoyable environment, and best of all, I don’t have to test them over the material. Frankly, it’s a win-win situation for everyone. =)

My life's mantra comes from Mahatma Gandhi. "Be the change you wish to see in the world."