Why I love doing school visits

I have the best job in the world, and here’s why

Nov 18, 2024

Hi friends,

I have the best job in the world, and here’s why.

I had an in-person school visit last week, my first since Mari in the Margins was published. It was at a small town school about an hour from where I live, so to get there on time I had to get up extra early and drive for an hour in the rain to an unfamiliar rural area. That’s not an easy thing for me to do, but I do it because I love doing school visits.

Thankfully it had stopped raining by the time I arrived at the school on Wednesday morning, so I didn’t have to cover my wheeled tote with the large garbage bag I had brought with me just in case. Maybe I should invest in one that closes and is rain resistant? But anyway…

I headed into the office and was greeted warmly by the office staff and the school principal, who escorted me to the coziest school library I’ve ever been in. Not cozy because of its size—it was a fairly roomy library—but because of its vibe. It had comfy chairs and warm, tasteful, autumn decorations. I half expected their to be a roaring hearth!

The library para greeted me and helped me get set up. She rolled out a cart for me to set some props and books on, even going so far as to put a tablecloth and a doily on top so that it fit with the room’s cozy vibe. Then the media specialist came in and introduced herself and made sure I had everything I needed. And before I knew it, the first group came in.

I met with every grade level at this school, from kindergarten to sixth grade. With the kindergartners and first graders I read What About Moose?, shared my “author’s toolbox” (using a real toolbox and hard hat), and then we got creative by designing a tree house together. For second and third grade, I read Federico and the Wolf, then talked about “building a story,” and we did some brainstorming together. And with the fourth through sixth graders, I read some of Mari in the Margins, talked about how to think like a poet when you’re writing, and then I had them write some sentences or a few lines of a poem with my tips in mind. It was a whirlwind visit with a lot fit into one day, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Often school staff are surprised when I tell them I will happily meet with every grade level in one visit. Usually this means six presentations in one day, which is a lot, but for this school it was seven. With a one hour break for lunch.

Why do I do this? Because kids are who I write for, and if I’m going spend my day at an elementary school I want to be available to every student. I want to be a bright spot in their day, a chance for them to not only hear a fun story, but to hear encouragement from an author whose journey began when she was where they are now—in elementary school. I want them to know that authors are real people who make mistakes and get frustrated and need help from their peers. I want to give them an opportunity to ask questions that even their teachers don’t always know the answer to. And I want to engage their young brains in creative activities that they might not otherwise have the chance or the desire to try on their own.

Most of these kids won’t go on to be authors, and that’s okay. My goal isn’t to make more authors. While I do encourage kids to read a lot, take writing seriously in school, and assure them that revision is actually a necessary part of writing and not a twisted type of mental torture invented by a society of evil teachers, my main goal is to encourage them to do their best in general. To find what interests them and work at it. To understand that many roads are worth traveling even if the journey seems really long and hard.

I write for kids to entertain them, inspire them, and show them some light in the world. When I visit schools I get to do that face to face, and that is the best part of what I do.