Mr. Jolley’s Class is the Best!
I just returned from my first classroom presentation connected with The Limit. One of my sons is currently in sixth grade, so his class made perfect guinea pigs for me to practice on. They were great! I’m so happy with the way the presentation went. I let the teacher, Mr. Jolley, borrow one of my two precious galleys and he’s been reading it to the class over the past month or two. I was a little nervous going in–this is a HUGE class. My son told me I didn’t have anything to worry about. “Every single person in that class loves The Limit,” he told me. They gave me a big round of applause as soon as I walked into the classroom. That gave me all the confidence I needed. Every person in that class was attentive and responsive. They listened and participated. I didn’t have to tell them to be quiet or settle down. I didn’t have to raise my voice at all. It was awesome!
Thanks, Mr. Jolley and every member of that class, for letting me practice on you and for being such a great audience!
(I’ll post a picture as soon as we receive parental permission.)
Comments
Doug Jolley (Sep 24, 2010)
When I first spoke to Mrs. Landon about reading The Limit to my class, I thought it would be a great experience to read a book by a local author (who happened to be the mother of one of my students). Later, I began to worry about my decision. What if the book was boring? What if the students didn’t like it? What will I tell Mrs. Landon? I didn’t know the answers to any of these questions, but I began the book anyway.
My fears soon gave way to sheer delight. The book was fantastic! What a great experience it was for our class. Students would beg me to continue reading the book each day. Some days I gave in and prolonged our reading time because I wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters as well. We were all disappointed that the story had to end.
Students had so many questions for Mrs. Landon and were excited about her upcoming visit. You know that they must have loved the book, because without any prompting from me, they began to give her a spontaneous round of applause when she entered our classroom. Students were entranced by her presentation and sat quietly throughout. You have to understand that this is no small feat. Sixth graders have a difficult time sitting quietly for more than 15 to 20 minutes. Mrs. Landon’s presentation held them for well over an hour. The material she presented was not only interesting, but also important for them to learn. She was even kind enough to listen and answer all of their questions (and even sign autographs). Students didn’t want her to leave.
It was a once in a lifetime experience for my class to read a book before it was published and then listen and talk to the author. Anyone that is considering buying this book will not be disappointed. Read it! Better yet, invite Mrs. Landon to speak to your class or group. You will be happy you did. I have 38 past students that will most likely buy the book now that it has been published. You shouldn’t thank me. I need to thank you for this incredible opportunity. I’ll be looking forward to your next book!