School Visits
My boss, wonderful lady that she is, keeps telling me that I should do school visits. I have absolutely know idea what to do at one. I know that I might want to read a book to the younger kids and for everyone tell them who I am and let them know what wonderful books and programs we have. I think I’m supposed to do some book talking and then let everyone ask me questions like, “Did it hurt to get your nose pierced?” and “How many piercings do you have?” and “Why don’t you look like a librarian?” and “Why did you just read a book about a farting pig to a group of juniors in high school?”
As you can see I have no idea on how to go about this, so tips and hints are greatly appreciated. All I know is I am definately wearing my booger pin at all school visits!
August 21st, 2006 at 7:20 pm
I can only tell you about doing visits for K-5th graders, because that’s all I do. I am way, way too chicken to try grades 6 and up. I used to think that I wasn’t that good with the fifth graders, even, but then a bunch of teachers told me otherwise. Who knew?
My favorite thing to do is to see second graders. You can count on second graders mostly remembering who you are and where you come from (unlike Kindergarteners), and they’re total suckers for pretty much anything you read or tell them. I usually like to tell a story or two, maybe do some jokes out of a joke book (knock-knock jokes work best for me), and then show them stuff out of my “cool stuff bag” that has really cool samples of everything we have in the library (a few books, a DVD, a magazine, etc…). The cool stuff bag is brilliant. If you pick the right stuff, you just get it out, hold it up, and the kids go nuts. We’ve had a lot of luck with things like Star Wars books, comic books, Captain Underpants, and, this past June, the High School Muscial DVD.
Here is my favorite knock-knock joke, courtesy of Dav Pilkey (and which I only tell to groups when I’m feeling really brave):
Knock-Knock.
Who’s there?
I’m a pile up.
Just go do it to someone, and you’ll see how the answer comes out. It’s great when you have a whole ROOMFUL of someones saying it. 😉
August 21st, 2006 at 9:18 pm
I had to say it out loud to myself before I got it. In the words of the Guinness guys… Brilliant!
August 22nd, 2006 at 6:40 am
Seriously. Love that joke.