Getting Your Books (and You!) Into Schools Jodi Wheeler-Toppen Author of 10-ish science books for kids and teachers

My proposal How do teachers decide which books to use with their classes? What makes a teachers’ guide for a book really useable for a teacher? How do you get a teacher’s guide noticed so that teachers will try it out? In this session, we’ll hear from teacher interviews on how they select books. We’ll look at some lesson plans that teachers love and figure out why they work. We’ll look at some publications coming out of educator’s groups that can help us highlight our work for teachers, and help them see how valuable our author visits can be. And it will be fun!

How do teachers decide which books to use with their classes? Other: exhibits at conferences, student interest, bookstores, from reading them, book reviews

My Take-aways Google phrases a teacher might be searching related to your book, such as “Books for teaching the industrial revolution” or “Books for teaching perseverance.” Does your book come up anywhere? Could you write a blog post with that title and get it published somewhere? Once teachers find a useful resource, they are likely to share it with their friends.

Do you ever use supplementary materials (like teachers' guides) when you use a book with your students?

what are your best sources for teachers' guides for books (if you use websites or blogs, please tell us which ones)? Just search the internet until I find one I like Colleagues Teachers pay Teachers Teachingbooks.net Pinterest YouTube Publishers (Follett named specifically, another respondent got a guide when she ordered the book) edudemic.com teachinghistory.org PBS Teachers Lesson Plans 4 Teachers Textbook resources Chris Meyer's site (physics?), MCTM lessons (math), eMaths Lucy Calkins Units of Study (Heinemann)

Useful term: book/ novel study

Teachingbooks.net Hi Jodi, Thank you so much for reaching out to us.  I'm excited to hear that you are speaking to authors about making teachers guides!  What a great thing to do! We would really love any teachers guides (or other resources) that you or any of the authors you speak to have.  Please tell them that they can send them to me - Katie@TeachingBooks.net  I'll add anything that fits our Content Development Policy to the database so that all of the educators and librarians who use our site can find them!

My Take-aways Once you (or your publisher) makes something, cross-list it wherever you can It would be very easy to create a list of “great books about…” and post it to Pinterest

What makes a teachers’ guide for a book really useable for You? Most common responses: Specific hands-on activities for different ages and abilities Multiple resources to use/ real world connections to content Book related facts and additional information References to Common Core and state course of study standards. High level questions (Bloom’s taxonomy)

Other Responses Themes, similar books that could be used for comparison/contrast Author reflections. Why did the author include what she did? Technology connections. Graphic organizers. Vocabulary. Teaching points for individual/small group conferring (workshop model) critical and creative thinking as well as addressing emotional needs Synopsis of book Interactive content (such as videos)- anything that makes the book come to life for the students.

My Take-Aways Connect it to Common Core or other national standards Science: Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Social Studies: College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards School Librarians: AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner You don’t have to create an “entire” book guide. A book trailer, video of you talking about your research or thought process; or activity that supports a learning goal may help--IF they can find it with the type of the searches they are doing. Show how your book supports a larger learning goal. The lesson plan can’t just be about your book—it needs to include activities and other information that help teachers address a topic they have to cover. Include things from your research and all that stuff you had to cut out! “High level questions” or “critical thinking” refers to the upper end of “Bloom’s taxonomy of questions” Put a statement about your availability to do author visits and contact info (website) in the guide?

Do you ever bring authors to your school to speak to students? Extremely limited sample size! (i.e., 9. And totally biased toward the sort who would be on an author’s mailing list…)

Think about the last 2 authors who came to your school Think about the last 2 authors who came to your school. How did you find out about them/ decide to invite them? Check all that apply. Other: I work with a local bookstore to bring authors because I have a very limited budget for author visits.

My Take-Aways Present at conferences for librarians. They seem (?) to be the ones with the most say in inviting an author. Heather Montgomery says that she usually gets the payoff on her second visit to the same conference. Consider leaving cards or brochures for them to share with a friend or to promote a writer friend who might be a good fit for that school.

Pause here: What do we want to do next? Discuss this for a few minutes. Have other people here share what they have gleaned from teachers, librarians, and experience. Talk about nitty gritty of writing lesson plans for teachers Talk about the standards/Bloom’s taxonomy in more detail

Common core examples

More Common Core Examples

Books of Lesson plans

Possible components of a lesson plan/ activity Guide Engaging title Materials needed Standards addressed Age/Grade Other materials on the topic Activity Instructions for reading the book or excerpts from the book Follow-up writing assignment or extension activity OnceUponAScienceBook.com