All text and images copyright Tim Myers 2008
Joe the Bird
Second-grade Seth
Six Reasons to Invite Tim to Your School
There can be a lot more to a school visit than just trotting out an author!
1. Tim connects with kids--
This happens mainly because he LOVES kids! But he's also the oldest of 11 children and was a stay-at-home dad for years.
2. He maximizes interactions--
Tim likes to do as many assemblies or other presentations as possible; he's done seven or eight in a day. He's also open to a variety of presentations, everything from assemblies and workshops to classroom visits and talking to teachers (formally or informally) or parents. And he loves to interact informally with the kids whenever he can during a visit.
3. He brings educational value in an intense form--
With 14 years as a classroom teacher and 19 as a teacher educator, Tim knows teaching. And literacy is his family's life; his wife is a PhD reading specialist and his three children are currently working on, respectively, a PhD, an MA, and a BA (at Berkeley). Tim's presentations never SEEM educational to kids--but they are. And his 32 years as a writing teacher come through too.
4. He brings storytelling, with its immense power to both motivate and teach listeners--
5. He brings lived multiculturalism and commitment to tolerance and diversity--
Many of Tim's books are multicultural and his repertoire of stories represents cultures from around the world. He's lived overseas (Norway, London, Tokyo) and has traveled extensively. He's also lived in Colorado, Texas, and New York. All this experience shows in his work and in his interactions with kids.
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6. He brings pure language--
Technology is wonderful, and Tim’s not against it. But most kids get a steady diet of it these days, and if they can experience pure language as exciting and fascinating, they’re more likely to get better at literacy itself--which even the best tech presentations depend on.