Your Subtitle text
When I present at your school, I aim to make everyone happy.
I'm an author
(which pleases media specialists)
I'm a historian
(which pleases social studies teachers)
I'm a cheap date
(which pleases principals)
And most of all...
I'm not boring
(which pleases kids)
Here's what teachers have to say about Annette's author visits/in-house field trips...
A Representative Selection of Comments from 2008-2010:
This was one of the best presentations we have had at Mount Bethel. The students were engaged fully for over ninety minutes. [Annette] is personable, engaging, funny, sensitive, knowledgeable, expressive, and has the beautiful heart of a teacher who loves her subject and craft.
James W. Morris, 5th grade teacher and winner, Excellent in Education Award, Mount Bethel Elementary School.
Annette's presentation was informative and entertaining. She can relate to students so well. *
Barbara Powell-Schager, Media Specialist, Big Shanty Intermediate School.
Extremely entertaining and engaging for the students and teachers! The content is engaging and matches our learning objectives.
Cindy Parker, 5th grade teacher, W.J. Cooper Elementary School.
Awesome presentation! Loved the humor! I would recommend this program to other schools because it's curriculum related, students are well-engaged in the program, actual relics are shown and used by the students in demonstrations, and loads of historical information is shared.
Charlotte R. Thomas, 5th grade teacher, Meadowcreek Elementary School.
You shared exciting experiences with the students and made them relevant to their lives. The students enjoyed your humor.
Allison Askew, 5th grade teacher, Patrick Elementary School.
Very interactive! You kept the children's attention. I was entertained!
Lauren Whiting, 5th grade teacher, Ivy Creek Elementary School.
A wonderful way to integrate curriculum goals into a real-life learning experience. Presenter held students' attention through an engaging presentation, visuals, and dialogue. A wonderful way to reach the Social Studies standards through integration of text and real life.
Chisel Valdez, 5th grade teacher, Grayson Elementary School.
Very inviting personality, lots of hands-on materials. Love her accent.
Third Grade Teachers, Lawrenceville Elementary School.
Fast-paced and exciting...Students were very engaged and energized about reading and writing.*
Erika Brown, Big Shanty Intermediate School.
You really kept the interest of the students by involving them in your story. The hands-on experience was very positive... It was so interesting, because it was history as well as seeing a real author!
Patricia Akins, 4th grade teacher, Julia P. Bryant Elementary School.
This presentation really brings the content to life for students.
Kim Sawyer, Special Education teacher, Grades K, 2, 5, W.J. Cooper Elementary School.
Dr. Laing's motivational and humorous stories encourage student writers. My students came back to the classroom raring to write.*
Lisa Ashmeade, 5th grade teacher, Big Shanty Intermediate School.
You made history real to the children. You related events to today and to their lives.
Peggy Lewis, 4th grade teacher, Julia P. Bryant Elementary School.
The presentation served as an excellent extension of the 5th graders' social studies curriculum. You engaged students through your historical interpretation and various authentic artifacts. A student turned to me and excitedly exclaimed, "This is fascinating!"
Jamie Perry, 5th grade teacher, Grayson Elementary School.
Fantastic involvement of the students. Very informative and interactive, covered our Academic Standards in a very interesting way.
Julie Wilkerson, 5th grade teacher W.J. Cooper Elementary School.
Wonderful! The students loved actually touching artifacts. They got a wonderful taste of history!
Raegan Dillon, 4th grade teacher, May Howard Elementary School.
I highly recommend this program. The history came alive through your presentation!
Melissa Danner, 5th grade teacher, Mount Bethel Elementary School.
You were fabulous! You are what I wish I could be, to deliver history to my students!
Erin Clendenen, 5th grade, Ivy Creek Elementary School.
Very entertaining. Connected to our curriculum very nicely; visual aids kept the kids interested and engaged. Use of humor helped kids relate to the topic. The presentation was relevant and engaging.
Jeff Singleton, 5th grade teacher, Grayson Elementary School.
*Comment refers to Annette's A Writer's Life presentation.
A Representative Selection of Comments from 2008-2010:
This was one of the best presentations we have had at Mount Bethel. The students were engaged fully for over ninety minutes. [Annette] is personable, engaging, funny, sensitive, knowledgeable, expressive, and has the beautiful heart of a teacher who loves her subject and craft.
James W. Morris, 5th grade teacher and winner, Excellent in Education Award, Mount Bethel Elementary School.
Annette's presentation was informative and entertaining. She can relate to students so well. *
Barbara Powell-Schager, Media Specialist, Big Shanty Intermediate School.
Extremely entertaining and engaging for the students and teachers! The content is engaging and matches our learning objectives.
Cindy Parker, 5th grade teacher, W.J. Cooper Elementary School.
Awesome presentation! Loved the humor! I would recommend this program to other schools because it's curriculum related, students are well-engaged in the program, actual relics are shown and used by the students in demonstrations, and loads of historical information is shared.
Charlotte R. Thomas, 5th grade teacher, Meadowcreek Elementary School.
You shared exciting experiences with the students and made them relevant to their lives. The students enjoyed your humor.
Allison Askew, 5th grade teacher, Patrick Elementary School.
Very interactive! You kept the children's attention. I was entertained!
Lauren Whiting, 5th grade teacher, Ivy Creek Elementary School.
A wonderful way to integrate curriculum goals into a real-life learning experience. Presenter held students' attention through an engaging presentation, visuals, and dialogue. A wonderful way to reach the Social Studies standards through integration of text and real life.
Chisel Valdez, 5th grade teacher, Grayson Elementary School.
Very inviting personality, lots of hands-on materials. Love her accent.
Third Grade Teachers, Lawrenceville Elementary School.
Fast-paced and exciting...Students were very engaged and energized about reading and writing.*
Erika Brown, Big Shanty Intermediate School.
You really kept the interest of the students by involving them in your story. The hands-on experience was very positive... It was so interesting, because it was history as well as seeing a real author!
Patricia Akins, 4th grade teacher, Julia P. Bryant Elementary School.
This presentation really brings the content to life for students.
Kim Sawyer, Special Education teacher, Grades K, 2, 5, W.J. Cooper Elementary School.
Dr. Laing's motivational and humorous stories encourage student writers. My students came back to the classroom raring to write.*
Lisa Ashmeade, 5th grade teacher, Big Shanty Intermediate School.
You made history real to the children. You related events to today and to their lives.
Peggy Lewis, 4th grade teacher, Julia P. Bryant Elementary School.
The presentation served as an excellent extension of the 5th graders' social studies curriculum. You engaged students through your historical interpretation and various authentic artifacts. A student turned to me and excitedly exclaimed, "This is fascinating!"
Jamie Perry, 5th grade teacher, Grayson Elementary School.
Fantastic involvement of the students. Very informative and interactive, covered our Academic Standards in a very interesting way.
Julie Wilkerson, 5th grade teacher W.J. Cooper Elementary School.
Wonderful! The students loved actually touching artifacts. They got a wonderful taste of history!
Raegan Dillon, 4th grade teacher, May Howard Elementary School.
I highly recommend this program. The history came alive through your presentation!
Melissa Danner, 5th grade teacher, Mount Bethel Elementary School.
You were fabulous! You are what I wish I could be, to deliver history to my students!
Erin Clendenen, 5th grade, Ivy Creek Elementary School.
Very entertaining. Connected to our curriculum very nicely; visual aids kept the kids interested and engaged. Use of humor helped kids relate to the topic. The presentation was relevant and engaging.
Jeff Singleton, 5th grade teacher, Grayson Elementary School.
*Comment refers to Annette's A Writer's Life presentation.
An Author Visit/In-House Field Trip With Annette (Grades 3-6)
Each day-long visit includes three sessions of one of the following three presentations.
For maximum effect and enjoyment, Annette strongly recommends that her presentations be made to a single grade (e.g. fourth or fifth grade) and that each session be attended by no more than two classes, for a total of no more than about eighty students. If there are more than six classes in a single grade, however, she is happy to have you divide the remaining children among the sessions. If you require that her presentations be open to multiple grades, please request Presentation E: "A Writer's Life" (described below.)
Presentation A: Could You Be A World War Two Kid?
Dressed in period costume, Annette gives a lively presentation on British children's lives during World War Two. She shares a multimedia, hands-on artifacts, a song, readings from Don't Know Where, Don't Know When, and plenty of good humor. Kids learn about air raids, food rationing, the blackout, and the evacuation of schoolchildren. Annette also focuses on children's everyday lives, including the food they ate, the music they listened to, what they did for fun, and the roles that children played in wartime Britain. In doing so, she encourages students to find parallels in the American experience of World War II.
Addresses GA Performance Standard for Social Studies SS5H6(e) for 5th grade. Teachers and media specialists from other states: Please contact Annette for information about how this presentation relates to your state curriculum in social studies.
Presentation B: Victorian Adventures (Coming in Fall, 2010)
What would it be like to be a child slave or factory worker? What did the first industrial revolution in Britain have to do with slavery in America? Annette's costumed presentation includes a multimedia presentation, hands-on artifacts, primary source documents, and readings from A Different Day, A Different Destiny, Book 2 of The Snipesville Chronicles. It's sure to get kids thinking historically, about what they do--and don't--have in common with kids in the United States and Britain in the mid-nineteenth century.
Addresses GA Performance Standards for Social Studies SS4H6(b) and SS4H7 for 4th grade; SS5H1B for 5th grade. Teachers and media specialists from other states: Please contact Annette for information about how this presentation relates to your state curriculum in social studies.
Presentation C: Colonial Capers (Coming in Fall, 2010)
Who better to talk about Colonial America than a Brit? Believe it or not, Annette has a PhD in Colonial and Revolutionary American history! But don't let that put you off...Dressed as an ordinary woman of the eighteenth century, Annette gives kids an inside look at how life was in British America for different kinds of people, and especially for kids! With humor, empathy, and artifacts, Annette helps kids understand the differences and connections between life then, and life now. Annette also gives kids a sneak preview of Book 3 in The Snipesville Chronicles, a work-in-progress that is set in the 18th century!
Addresses GA Performance Standards for Social Studies SS4H3(a&b) for 4th grade. Teachers and media specialists from other states: Please contact Annette for information about how this presentation relates to your state curriculum in social studies.
Presentation D: Revolutionary Rebels (Coming in Fall, 2010)
If a Brit comes to tell you about the American Revolution, will she tell you a version in which the British don't lose? No worries about that. What Annette will do is arrive in 18th-century costume, bringing artifacts from the period, and help make sense of the American Revolution to kids in fourth and/or fifth grade. Focusing on what colonists wanted and how they saw themselves, Annette helps students understand what made the War of American Independence a Revolution. Rest assured: Annette holds a PhD in history, but she also speaks fluent kid. Annette also gives kids a sneak preview of Book 3 in The Snipesville Chronicles, a work-in-progress that is set in the 18th century!
Addresses GA Performance Standards for Social Studies SS4H4 for 4th grade. Teachers and media specialists from other states: Please contact Annette for information about how this presentation relates to your state curriculum in social studies.
Presentation E: A Writer's Life (Suitable for Large Groups of Multiple Grade Levels)
You don't have to wait until you're all grown up to be a published writer! Annette shows kids how she started publishing her own magazines when she was ten years old, and how she hasn't stopped writing for an audience since. With humor and insight, Annette shows kids that being a writer means more than putting words to paper: You have to have something to say, you have to find your passion in reading, you have to be willing to rewrite until you're sick of rewriting, and it helps to find an audience for your work. She extols the value of daydreaming, and shares her 6th-grade report card with the kids. Annette also reveals her own writing process, and lets kids in on some of the fun secrets behind her Snipesville Chronicles series. This inspiring and entertaining talk will have kids eager to create their own writing projects!
If students have read Don't Know Where, Don't Know When, a discussion session can be substituted for one or more of the presentations. Annette is also available, by arrangement, to have lunch with a small group of children who have read the book.
Grade 7-12, college, and book club visits:
Annette is available to speak to groups and classes who have read her book. She is also willing to gear her history presentations toward adults. However, she does not teach creative writing. Please contact Annette at Annette@ConfusionPress.com to discuss your requirements.
Looking for a great guest speaker at your next meeting or conference?
Annette Laing is a witty, entertaining and thought-provoking speaker, despite being an historian. And did we mention her cool British accent? Please contact Annette to arrange for her to speak at your event.
Each day-long visit includes three sessions of one of the following three presentations.
For maximum effect and enjoyment, Annette strongly recommends that her presentations be made to a single grade (e.g. fourth or fifth grade) and that each session be attended by no more than two classes, for a total of no more than about eighty students. If there are more than six classes in a single grade, however, she is happy to have you divide the remaining children among the sessions. If you require that her presentations be open to multiple grades, please request Presentation E: "A Writer's Life" (described below.)
Presentation A: Could You Be A World War Two Kid?
Dressed in period costume, Annette gives a lively presentation on British children's lives during World War Two. She shares a multimedia, hands-on artifacts, a song, readings from Don't Know Where, Don't Know When, and plenty of good humor. Kids learn about air raids, food rationing, the blackout, and the evacuation of schoolchildren. Annette also focuses on children's everyday lives, including the food they ate, the music they listened to, what they did for fun, and the roles that children played in wartime Britain. In doing so, she encourages students to find parallels in the American experience of World War II.
Addresses GA Performance Standard for Social Studies SS5H6(e) for 5th grade. Teachers and media specialists from other states: Please contact Annette for information about how this presentation relates to your state curriculum in social studies.
Presentation B: Victorian Adventures (Coming in Fall, 2010)
What would it be like to be a child slave or factory worker? What did the first industrial revolution in Britain have to do with slavery in America? Annette's costumed presentation includes a multimedia presentation, hands-on artifacts, primary source documents, and readings from A Different Day, A Different Destiny, Book 2 of The Snipesville Chronicles. It's sure to get kids thinking historically, about what they do--and don't--have in common with kids in the United States and Britain in the mid-nineteenth century.
Addresses GA Performance Standards for Social Studies SS4H6(b) and SS4H7 for 4th grade; SS5H1B for 5th grade. Teachers and media specialists from other states: Please contact Annette for information about how this presentation relates to your state curriculum in social studies.
Presentation C: Colonial Capers (Coming in Fall, 2010)
Who better to talk about Colonial America than a Brit? Believe it or not, Annette has a PhD in Colonial and Revolutionary American history! But don't let that put you off...Dressed as an ordinary woman of the eighteenth century, Annette gives kids an inside look at how life was in British America for different kinds of people, and especially for kids! With humor, empathy, and artifacts, Annette helps kids understand the differences and connections between life then, and life now. Annette also gives kids a sneak preview of Book 3 in The Snipesville Chronicles, a work-in-progress that is set in the 18th century!
Addresses GA Performance Standards for Social Studies SS4H3(a&b) for 4th grade. Teachers and media specialists from other states: Please contact Annette for information about how this presentation relates to your state curriculum in social studies.
Presentation D: Revolutionary Rebels (Coming in Fall, 2010)
If a Brit comes to tell you about the American Revolution, will she tell you a version in which the British don't lose? No worries about that. What Annette will do is arrive in 18th-century costume, bringing artifacts from the period, and help make sense of the American Revolution to kids in fourth and/or fifth grade. Focusing on what colonists wanted and how they saw themselves, Annette helps students understand what made the War of American Independence a Revolution. Rest assured: Annette holds a PhD in history, but she also speaks fluent kid. Annette also gives kids a sneak preview of Book 3 in The Snipesville Chronicles, a work-in-progress that is set in the 18th century!
Addresses GA Performance Standards for Social Studies SS4H4 for 4th grade. Teachers and media specialists from other states: Please contact Annette for information about how this presentation relates to your state curriculum in social studies.
Presentation E: A Writer's Life (Suitable for Large Groups of Multiple Grade Levels)
You don't have to wait until you're all grown up to be a published writer! Annette shows kids how she started publishing her own magazines when she was ten years old, and how she hasn't stopped writing for an audience since. With humor and insight, Annette shows kids that being a writer means more than putting words to paper: You have to have something to say, you have to find your passion in reading, you have to be willing to rewrite until you're sick of rewriting, and it helps to find an audience for your work. She extols the value of daydreaming, and shares her 6th-grade report card with the kids. Annette also reveals her own writing process, and lets kids in on some of the fun secrets behind her Snipesville Chronicles series. This inspiring and entertaining talk will have kids eager to create their own writing projects!
If students have read Don't Know Where, Don't Know When, a discussion session can be substituted for one or more of the presentations. Annette is also available, by arrangement, to have lunch with a small group of children who have read the book.
Grade 7-12, college, and book club visits:
Annette is available to speak to groups and classes who have read her book. She is also willing to gear her history presentations toward adults. However, she does not teach creative writing. Please contact Annette at Annette@ConfusionPress.com to discuss your requirements.
Looking for a great guest speaker at your next meeting or conference?
Annette Laing is a witty, entertaining and thought-provoking speaker, despite being an historian. And did we mention her cool British accent? Please contact Annette to arrange for her to speak at your event.
TO ARRANGE A VISIT...Read On!
I'm a busy media specialist/librarian/teacher. Will it be a hassle to arrange a visit with Annette?
No! Annette knows you're busy, and makes it easy for you to invite her. Here's how:
- You don't need to make or pay separately for Annette's travel or lodging arrangements. Travel and hotel costs (except airfare, where noted) are included in Annette's very affordable fee.
- Annette's list of requirements for her visit is short and sensible. You do not need to provide lunch or a laptop, only an LCD projector and screen.
- You don't need to deal with ordering books. Simply distribute the customized flyer Annette will send you. Annette will bring enough books to supply demand.
How much does it cost for Annette to visit my school?
Annette works hard to keep her visits affordable. Her fee is based on the distance she must travel from her home in Statesboro, Georgia. You can use Google Maps to determine the fee band (see table below)in which your school falls, but don't hesitate to ask for a quote if you are close to the border between two fee bands. For an even better price, why not partner with two or three other schools in your area? See Package Deals below for details. And if your school has 75% students or more who qualify for free school meals, please contact Annette to discuss the possibility of a visit at a discount.
The fees given in this table:
*NEW*
Annette's Fees per day, AY 2010-11
(Inclusive of Travel Costs, except where noted)
Local
No more than 40 miles from Statesboro, Georgia
$300 per day, inc. travel
Less Local
No more than 130 miles from Statesboro, e.g. Savannah, Macon, Augusta, Hilton Head.
$500 per day, inc. travel
More Far Away
No more than 250 miles from Statesboro, e.g. Columbia (SC), Atlanta, Jacksonville
$600 per day, inc. travel
Very Far Away
Anywhere in the U.S. more than 250 miles from Statesboro, Georgia
$1,000 per day, inc. travel costs EXCEPT air fare or mileage, which is charged additionally.
Please request exact quote.
Package Deals
Find another school in same general area in the "More Far Away" and "Very Far Away" fee bands who will bring Annette on a consecutive day for a discount of $100 per school.
Find two other schools? The discount is $150 per school.
Where applicable, air fare will be rounded off to the nearest $100 and divided equally among schools.
Find another school in same general area in the "More Far Away" and "Very Far Away" fee bands who will bring Annette on a consecutive day for a discount of $100 per school.
Find two other schools? The discount is $150 per school.
Where applicable, air fare will be rounded off to the nearest $100 and divided equally among schools.
Got Funding?
Your principal's or district's discretionary funds, PTO funds, and grants may cover the modest cost. If you are a parent or teacher, talk with your media specialist/librarian. Many school librarians have money set aside for author visits. Annette's visits have also been designated "In-House Field Trips", and the cost borne by parents.
Your principal's or district's discretionary funds, PTO funds, and grants may cover the modest cost. If you are a parent or teacher, talk with your media specialist/librarian. Many school librarians have money set aside for author visits. Annette's visits have also been designated "In-House Field Trips", and the cost borne by parents.
A Note from Annette about School Visits:
School visits are just as important to me as my books, because they are means to the same end: I'm on a mission to help teachers and parents spark the interest of kids in social and cultural history.
School visits are just as important to me as my books, because they are means to the same end: I'm on a mission to help teachers and parents spark the interest of kids in social and cultural history.
That's why I put huge amounts of energy into what I do.
That's why I charge a reasonable fee to visit schools, and make organizing a visit a snap.
However, my professional and personal commitments strictly limit my time to visit schools each year. If you are a teacher, media specialist, or parent interested in having me speak to your school, you are strongly advised to book as far in advance as possible. But don't hesitate to call on me at the last minute: If I can make it, I'll be there.
For more information about how easy it is to arrange a school visit, or to reserve a date, please go to the Contact Annette page, or email Annette@ConfusionPress.com