Maybe the new normal? ...

Time flew and it's no longer August and I'm well overdue for another blog post.

Covid19 continues to change and influence our lives. After a small resurgence in Auckland we are back to some heavier restrictions. I'm comfortable with this - I don't want this disease and I don't want to give it to anyone else, so I'm happy to do what is necessary to knock it back. But this means events and bookings I had have been postponed, cancelled, or altered. Uncertainty is the name of the game but things are uncertain for everybody so I'm doing my best to roll with the changes. Today I physically visited a school, the lovely Albany Primary on the north shore, but protocols meant I wasn't able to do my presentations in the classrooms, hall or library. Instead I spoke to the children via an internal zoom-style system. I'm so glad the school decided to proceed with the visit - I was grateful to have the opportunity. Just like other businesses must adapt to the new arrangements I've come to realise I need to be able to deliver my talks in new and different ways.  This may or may not be the new normal but I want to have the skills to meet any need. And the experience was very positive, the technology ran well, and the students were great.

Some things I discovered about delivering content via technology:

1. You still need to project your voice, just like you are talking to the back of the hall.

2. Test that the students can hear you (show of hands), and can see the pages if you are reading them a book. Make sure you know the system for classes to let you know if they are experiencing issues and what you can do if they are (i.e. where are the audio-visual mutes, is there a way to see yourself, who is your tech help etc...) 

3. Ask for any questions to be collected and provided in advance, or if a class plans to ask them directly so you can connect when appropriate. 

4. If many classes are connecting they will be muted. Usually my sessions are very interactive with me asking the children questions, with the answers leading them on to the next part of my talk. It can be empowering for them to show they already have some of the answers and interaction also helps keep the children engaged. 100% listening is hard for anybody, especially over longer sessions. You'll need to proactively think about alternatives, find other ways to keep their energy up, and remember this is a different ball game. 

5. Even though technology separates you from your audience, keep your own energy high because you set the tone. Be just as excited and passionate as you would in person.

6. Always have a plan B and a plan C and be ready to switch if things aren't working. This is another good reason to take these kinds of opportunities - practice and experience will help you expand the tools in your toolbox. And sometimes you just have to roll with a less than ideal scenario. 

7. If you haven't had any experience with this kind of technology see if you can observe someone else using it. I've always thought it would be useful to have a school visit mentoring system where people new to visits can accompany someone with experience. If anyone ever wants to come along with me (unpaid, and the school would need to be willing), hit me up. I don't have all the answers, and ultimately everyone needs to devise their own speaking programme but I feel that knowing some of the parameters would be helpful for folk visiting a school for the first time on their own. 

In other news, I've seen roughs for the picture book being published by Penguin Random House next year, and I'm thrilled with the way this is coming together. Despite everything with Covid19 and the level changes we have been experiencing, progress is still happening.    

And I thought you might be interested in this post by agent Janet Reid. She talks about the writer's desire to offer up a lot of info/backstory early on in a manuscript and counsels against it. The reader doesn't need to know it all upfront. The idea is to make them want to know, to read on to find out ...