Today I made two school visits to schools on Toronto's West end.
First, I visited beautiful Beaumonde Heights.
We spoke a lot about the interviewing process. As I mentioned to the students it's great to get material online but sometimes the best way to get information is face-to-face.
The ability to interview is a great skill because if you are attentive to the person you are speaking with and if you ask questions based on the answers you are given you can learn an enormous amount.
For example: the librarian at Beaumonde Heights is Rosella Doto. I interviewed her for the students and we learned her amazing family story: how her father who grew up in Italy did not have shoes until he was 15 because he was so poor. Rosella's parents came to Canada with $15 and built a life here.
Her honesty and her great story made for a memorable morning.
In the afternoon it was time to go to Valleyfield where I met the librarian, Sonia Henri and about 70 students. I used an overhead unit to demonstrate writing and illustrating. We talked about having a plan and a starting point and used some sketches to demonstrate how to start with a rough idea and then add detail and shape to the picture until it is complete.
I learned from librarian Sonia Henri that in her hometown near Thedford Mines, Quebec, they had only one light. The great Wonuola operated the overhead machine for me. She and Jaden, another great kid, are in Mr. Graydon's class.
There is a lot of French spoken at Valleyfield and since I went to a French school from Kindergarten to Grade 8 I felt very comfortable. I had a wonderful time.
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