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Christina loves to visit schools and organisations, has a number of presentation options and will happily work with you to organise the best outcomes for you and your students. Christina presents to all ages, large groups and small. She is known for her highly interactive and engaging talks and workshops. Students are know to want to stay in for recess and do more! |
An experienced K-12 teacher, Christina is a confident, effective speaker and educator. Assemblies, teacher professional development, inspirational talks, workshops, story readings, artist/writer - in - residencies: Christina will cater and adapt to your needs, budget and program.
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Hints and tips:
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On the day:
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General FAQ's:
Why do authors charge to visit schools or present at festivals and conferences? Authors and illustrators have the same income requirements as anyone else. To be knowledgeable enough to teach others and present at events, they have put in years of hard work and study. It is a myth that they earn a lot of money from their books, in fact, the average income of many authors is below the living wage so they need to supplement their incomes in other ways. They have mortgages to pay and families to feed and to enable them to keep creating the books you love, they need to be paid for their work, just like anyone else. There is a set award rate for authors and presenters just as there is in any other industry. Why does it cost so much? It can sometimes look like a lot on paper but when you consider the time presenters put into their preparation and organisation, it is often a lower hourly rate than most professionals, such as relief teachers, IT experts, plumbers etc. There are many ways to organise a visit within your budget, ask your author for some tips and have a look at the hints and tips section above. Can we cut costs by billeting the author at a teachers house or with a school family? Unfortunately, the answer here is mostly a no. Most authors and illustrators have work to do once their sessions are over and they need to rest for their next day of presentations or travel. Mostly, authors will do their utmost to help keep costs down for the schools they visit. Consider sharing travel and accommodation costs with another school in your area by booking visits on consecutive days Can the author/illustrator spend an extra session with our budding authors during lunch? Usually lunch is an important time to take a breath, grab a drink, eat lunch and allow the voice to recover. If you want an extra session with these students, discuss it with the author and it can be scheduled into the organised program. It will usually be charged as an extra session if it is additional to those booked. This is at the discretion of the author. What does a writer or illustrator/artist in residency look like? This can take many forms and is designed around the needs and desires of the school or organisation. It can be an intensive block of time or it can be spread over a few weeks or a term or longer, depending on the availability and location of the author/illustrator. It can be one day a week or every day. In essence, it provides students and staff to work alongside the author/illustrator in the creation of their own work or a group project as well as being able to observe the visiting creator working on their own work. A residency has long lasting outcomes on all involved and has fantastic educational impact. Residencies can often be funded through grants or in school fundraising and are well worth considering. Please talk to your author before applying for a grant so you can apply for the right amount of funding. |
FAQ's - CHRISTINA:
Do you have a booking agency?
Yes. Christina is very happy for you to book through her agency. If you are in Tasmania you can also book directly by contacting Christina. For Bookings in NSW, ACT & QLD. please go to The Children's Bookshop Speakers' Agency. Where will you travel to? Christina will travel to most places within Australia and overseas. Travel fees, petrol and accommodation charges will apply except in her immediate local area. The most practical means of travel and accommodation will be organised to help to help keep the cost down. If travel makes it too expensive, a Zoom visit can be booked. Who will you visit? Schools (K-12), interest groups, parents, libraries, conferences, staff professional development sessions, dinners, universities, festivals etc. Just ask. Christina will cater to your topics and needs. What age groups do you work with? All age groups. Christina can create a program that suits every age: pre-school, new parent groups, kindergarten, lower and upper primary, middle school, secondary and senior secondary and adults of all ages. A presentation or workshop can be adapted or created for any age group. What topics do you cover? Illustration, writing, book production, career choices, story telling, my personal journey as an author/illustrator, literacy, reading, art, workshops: the topics are limitless (but I'm not good at brain surgery!). Will you sell your books? Christina supports buying books from local bookstores so she encourages you to order books through your local store before she arrives. You could organise for students to be able to put in book orders as well either before the visit or after. Christina is happy to sign books for you. If you are in NSW and have booked through The Children's Bookshop Speakers' Agency, they will provide book sales for you. Books are very heavy and make it difficult to travel with if you have to carry stock with you as well. You can let Christina know if you can't find a copy of a book and she may be able to locate it for you. Can we write to you? Yes. Go to the contacts page for details. Christina loves to hear from her audience. Where appropriate, she will always try to write back. If you would like your class to write via snail mail, please contact her for a postal address, or send the mail to the publisher of the book you have been reading. |