tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post8104606846757391778..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: The Value of Time - John DoughertyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-70673710245305966412013-10-23T20:57:13.700+01:002013-10-23T20:57:13.700+01:00I'd better go and have another look at the tim...I'd better go and have another look at the timetable for when you visit after Christmas then...Jon Biddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10753930052538238409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-56009493599845074812013-10-17T21:47:20.654+01:002013-10-17T21:47:20.654+01:00Brilliant post John and very timely. It gives us a...Brilliant post John and very timely. It gives us all courage to make rules for ourselves on what we can or cannot do. And Caroline... two months every day! You must be superwoman! Demoralising for me is when the teacher sits and marks books. Dianne Hofmeyrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18222157214605257030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-48662843067286529552013-10-17T11:47:57.206+01:002013-10-17T11:47:57.206+01:00Excellent points, John. And something schools can ...Excellent points, John. And something schools can do if they want (as they should) to squeeze the most "value" out of an event, is to prepare pupils beforehand and, more importantly, follow up afterwards. The most demoralising experiences for me have been when i can see that the teachers are just baby-sitting during my talk and have no intention of using anything I've said as a springboard for anything later. After my brain events, i provide quizzes and activities that pupils can follow up on their own or (even better) the teachers can use to increase the benefit from my visit.Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07847390687632715336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-19388784616124617772013-10-17T08:34:20.485+01:002013-10-17T08:34:20.485+01:00Great post, John! There's another apect to aut...Great post, John! There's another apect to author visits too, although harder to pin down : a spirit of generosity and sharing. Time and again, when schools and staff seem to value and empathise with the process of the visit, and do their best to engage with the writer's work, the whole experience takes on a more satisfying flavour. Pays back all round.Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-26514477081523693642013-10-16T10:53:04.319+01:002013-10-16T10:53:04.319+01:00Hear, hear! I wish every school (and some bookshop...Hear, hear! I wish every school (and some bookshops) would read this! I put all my energy into a single talk to big numbers. I love the dynamic of big groups and the teachers can then run with whichever of the balls I've tossed out. I do events every day two months out of the year and sometimes travel up to six hours return trip. <br /><br />But what you say is right: it's the number of kids you reach and enthuse that counts! :-)Caroline Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07249424644829463560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-85587342059023009692013-10-16T10:38:32.939+01:002013-10-16T10:38:32.939+01:00Sounds like you give excellent value for your pay....Sounds like you give excellent value for your pay. :) I work in a secondary school, so you wouldn't be required to do all that song and dance, though if you had personality you would win them over. It also helps to be young and good - looking as our recent guest was - he had the girls drooling over him and annoyed a few boyfriends. ;-) I had to take him to my literacy class because he arrived way too early, and he charmed my students. I fed him before and after his talk to the kids and got in the newspapers to promote him. <br /><br />Point taken about Ian Holm.Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-30470686956751653632013-10-16T10:02:44.480+01:002013-10-16T10:02:44.480+01:00Brilliant post, John! Brilliant post, John! Katherine Langrishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12529700103932422873noreply@blogger.com