Early Childhood / Kindy Workshops

Jess will engage little readers through a combination of drama games, art, and music activities, with a family focus. She will read her debut picture book, ‘Some Families Change’ and break down the themes in an age appropriate way.  Jess knows how to pace learning activities in short, sweet segments to balance engagement, learning and fun.

Early Primary School Workshops

Jess is happy to design workshops around learning areas. There are several areas of the Australian Curriculum best suited to her story, ‘Some Families Change’. The Foundation curriculum focuses on developing students' understanding of their personal worlds, including their personal and family histories and the places they and their families live in and belong to. The emphasis is on the student's own history and their own place. Jess can integrate learning activities linked to the family theme of her book within learning areas such as English, HASS and the Arts.

Upper Primary School Workshops

In the upper primary years, Jess is happy to design workshops within English and the Arts with a focus on creative processes. In English, this may be around creative writing styles and techniques and in arts such as Drama/Visual Art, this could look like a discussion of picture book processes, techniques and development.

Secondary School Workshops

Jess has 15 years+ experience teaching Drama, English and Arts Curriculum in high schools.

English: Jess will work within the English curriculum to tailor workshops around the craft of creative writing. This includes creative writing techniques and a discussion of stylistic and aesthetic devices, audience, and context.

Drama: Jess has designed a Process Drama titled, Some Families Change, that combines themes of family, change and resilience, explored through dramatic elements, conventions and action that will assist students to process these universal themes. This workshop would fit in with units around Physical Theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed, Process Drama, Story Telling, Play building and Dramaturgy.

Visual Art/Media Arts:  Jess can use her book as a way into picture book units that examine visual art or Media Arts processes  and elements. Jess will examine story boarding, design and layout, placing words on a page, conceptual illustration notes and picture book aesthetics.

Co-curricular workshops:

Jess can work within co-curricular contexts to shape workshops for particular purposes. This may involve after school care programs, art workshops, author in residence programs etc. She can work within her teaching areas and author experience to shape learning experiences that link to industry skills. In her work with senior curriculum, she is also across syllabus documents and is happy to work unit objectives into her workshops and programs.

Author Workshops:

Jess’s Author Workshop package is interactive and fun. She introduces herself, her background and personal experiences with writing, teaching, and performing. Jess will read ‘Some Families Change’ and workshop the themes with students in engaging and relevant ways.  She provides information about the children’s publishing industry, as well as fun writer tips about getting started with creative writing. She uses images, videos, storytelling and games, to explain the writing process and help inspire kids to have a go at creative writing.

PD Sessions for Teachers – how to get kids excited about literacy:

Jess will combine her experience as a children’s author, teacher, curriculum advisor and performer to assist teachers in creating engaging, challenging and relevant curriculum activities that are fun, practical and engaging. Jess will address the interrelated strands of the National Curriculum: language, literature and literacy, to help teachers think about ways of bridging the literacy gap for students. This includes using dramatic action to help the most reluctant readers have a go at reading and writing. Her sessions include handouts and workshop activities that teachers can model for their own students, to bring the curriculum to life for young learners.

Writing Picture Books – a workshop for aspiring writers

Writing picture books involves creativity, discernment, and discipline. Jess has learned much about this specific genre on her author journey and in this workshop, combines her knowledge with practical, hands-on activities to help future writers hone their skills. She will discuss the kids’ publishing space and offer advice on approaching, working and fostering relationships with a publisher, building an author brand, marketing, and event planning. Jess is passionate about the Kid Lit community and is keen to share her experiences and insights.