School Visits
Tina would love to visit your school or organization!
Meeting an author is a great way to get kids excited about reading and writing. Questions bounce around the room, books get read, and kids want to write! Tina combines 30+ years of teaching with her author experiences to offer in-person or virtual school visits for children and adults on a variety of topics related to literacy, writing, the creative world, and her books.
Any of the presentations below can be tailored to your student’s educational needs.
Presentations or writing workshops can be scheduled as single sessions, combined as part of a full day at a school/district, or scheduled as a virtual visit.
“After selecting Orange for the Sunsets as our Grade 6 Novel Study, Tina joined us virtually and in person to speak to our students. She meaningfully relates the novel to current events and highlights the importance of honouring different perspectives. Not only will Tina's visit leave a lasting impression on my students through her engaging writing mini-lesson but the profound connections she made during her short time have empowered my students to become better writers and more critical readers.”
Kayla Penney. Grade 6 Malcolm Tweddle Edmonton Public School, Alberta, Canada
Presentations for Lower Elementary:
SEEING YOURSELF IN STORIES:
Meena and Her Hurly Burly Hullabaloo
Tina opens with some breathing strategies and simple yoga poses, then follows up with reading her book. Creativity and identifying emotions are explored with laughter and stories.
Venue: Classrooms, Assemblies, Libraries, or Virtual
Audience: Ages 4-8
Duration: 30 minutes
THE CREATIVE MIND:
Meena and Her Hurly Burly Hullabaloo
Tina reads her book and then shares a video by the illustrator showing the art process of how the Hurly Burly Hullabaloo was created. This is followed with a guided activity where students create their own Hurly Burly Hullabaloo characters. (Art supplies are provided by schools or patrons)
Venue: Classrooms, Libraries, or Virtual
Audience: Ages 4-8
Duration: 30 minutes
Presentations for Upper Elementary
and Middle School:
Tristan with Orange For The Sunsets
BOOKS AS WINDOWS AND MIRRORS:
Orange For The Sunsets
Tina describes the inspiration for Orange for the Sunsets and her path to writing it, from her childhood to the present day to inspire kids to tell their own stories and know that we all belong. Students learn about life in Entebbe Uganda in 1972. The differences and similarities between cultures are explored as we look at how books are both windows and mirrors to our lives.
Venue: Classrooms, Assemblies, Libraries, or Virtual
Audience: Ages 9 and up
Duration: 30-45 minutes
VIRTUAL AUTHOR VISIT:
Ask Tina Anything!
Classrooms or groups can chat with Tina virtually about writing and reading, any of her books, life between cultures, or any other topic of their interest. She sits in front of her webcam with a cup of tea, you're gathered in your venue, and the conversation flows from there.
Venue: Anywhere, via my computer
Duration: 20-30 minutes
VIRTUAL AUTHOR VISIT:
First Chapter Fridays
Tina briefly discusses the history behind her historical fiction book, Orange For The Sunsets, and reads the opening chapter with students.
Venue: Anywhere, via my computer
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Presentations for Educators and Parents:
UNLOCK THE MAGIC OF READING:
Early Readers (Bebop Books/Lee and Low)
Leave with strategies and techniques to implement with your emerging and struggling readers. Tina discusses multisensory activities that address diverse learning needs of beginning readers using her beginning readers as examples. Time for Q and A included.
Venue: Classroom, Assemblies, or Virtual
Audience: Educators and parents of students aged 4-7
Duration: 60 minutes
UNPLUGGED:
Finding The Calm
Tina discusses how to establish healthy habits to navigate the digital age and how to help students find and create calm spaces to support healthy brains and learning. Time for Q and A included.
Venue: Classroom, Assemblies, or Virtual
Audience: Educators and parents
Duration: 60 minutes