Speeches and Interviews

About Teaching

When I visit schools or speak at conferences, I focus on the fact that we all have stories to tell, and how each of those stories is important. Personal narrative is the backbone of all storytelling, all history, and all fiction. I start from there. I structure an author visit day as instructional time and I partner with your teachers.

To talk about particulars or inquire about possibilities, email deborahwiles@gmail.com.

It can be hard to convey the importance and long-lasting effect of a meaningful author visit, so let me tell you what I do and why:

1. I write picture books and novels for children. I am also a freelance writer — I write essays and features for adults. I write in many different genres, for all ages. My books span pre-K (One Wide Sky, which is poetry ) to young adult.

2. I believe in teaching. I have been teaching writing for over 20 years in various settings from elementary school through college. I have taught and learned from teachers across the country. I taught “Writing Techniques for Teachers” (or ECED422) at Towson University and have taught in the MFA programs at Lesley University and Vermont College.

3. I believe in teachers. I support and partner with your teachers and your writing goals, to help your students improve their personal narrative writing skills — skills that are tested all during their academic careers, and scores that are used as evaluation tools for schools as well. All teachers attend assemblies with their students and bring notebooks, as I in-service teachers while I work with their students. I offer an after-school workshop with teachers as well, to delve deeper into the concepts I present in assembly.

4. Students in grades four and up bring their notebooks to assembly. Students in grades K-3 do finger writing with me. I use my published books and many others to show how personal experiences find their way into writing for personal expression, including fiction. Everyone leaves assembly with stories to tell and ways to tell them . . . all those text-to-self and -world connections. In addition, teachers leave with tools they can immediately use to augment their writing toolboxes. I tell stories across the curriculum, and in all genres. It’s a writing intensive, and it’s fun at the same time. Lots of laughter, and lots of hard work.

It is imperative that students and teachers are familiar with my books, as they are the backbone of the assembly. The better students know the books, the more they will take from assembly and the more teachers will be able to work with these ideas. I will supply you with a list of which books are best for each grade grouping or, if you prefer, you can assign particular books to each grade that suit your curriculum goals, and I can work from there.

I can work with very large groups provided I have excellent sound, attentive and participating teachers, and students who are able to sit comfortably. I tailor each assembly for each grade and age; we have a great time while doing good work. For students in middle and high schools, I take a different approach. I do show slides, and I do a similar talk, geared for them. Notebooks are optional; teachers’ attendance is not.

I can do up to four assembly programs in a day. I can eat lunch with students and/or teachers. I can sign books. This is an intense day of standing, talking, presenting, and teaching all day, and it’s work I love, but after four assembly programs I begin to lose my voice.

I also do writing residencies, working with a select grade or grades for extended periods — a week, three days, two. We work these out in advance, working closely together. If you are interested in residency work, email me and let’s talk. I do few residencies now, as I have begun to limit my time in schools in order to meet writing deadlines, but I still do author visits, and here is why:

As human beings we find out who we are by telling our stories and by listening to others tell theirs. It is one of our fundamental needs, to tell our stories. It’s how we structure knowledge and experience. It’s how we create peace. It’s the most important work we do. I share my stories with your students and teachers — show them where I come from — and I challenge them to mine moments in their own lives and turn them into story.

It’s very good work. You do this work as well. I am honored to be invited into your classrooms. I always learn as much as I teach.

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For more information on how I teach, visit my blog at www.deborahwiles1.blogspot.com or click on my interview with Michele Norris at All Things Considered.

There is also a YouTube video of me visiting a school in Frederick, MD under that link.

If you subscribe to the blog, you will learn more about my teaching and writing.

— Deborah Wiles