Helaine Becker

Readings

I generally begin by reading some humorous pieces, then intersperse Q&A with readings or discussion on topics that arise during the session – developing ideas and finding inspiration, the craft of writing, how to research, what is science, etc. Sometimes we “do” a science experiment from Are You Psychic? to illustrate the importance of critical thinking. Sometimes we talk about peer pressure, and the importance of being true to yourself. Sometimes we talk about goal setting, and hard work (blech!). And sometimes we talk about the wonder and joy and humor in everyday life. I almost always end with the poem “The Ode to Underwear” – guaranteed to get laughter from the Grade 2s AND the Grade 8s.

In addition to a “general” presentation as above, I also offer formal workshops on Stimulating Creativity, the Power of Poetry, and Essay Writing – the Clown’s Way. See further details below.

Special Equipment:

Depending on the presentation, I sometimes use a PowerPoint, so I need a screen and projector in this case. We should discuss it first though!

Book Sales:

Copies of books can be brought to be sold and autographed.

Workshops

Stimulating Creativity in Your Students (for junior grade, middle school and high school students)
Get ready to laugh out loud in this fun and funny hands-on workshop on boosting lateral thinking. Using proven techniques used by writers, comedians and cartoonists, Ms. Becker will unleash your students’ creative thinking skills and show you how to loosen up those uptight tweens and teens you call your students. Association lists, the magic grid, defeating the blank page, doodling, the world’s worst first sentence and more! 50 minutes; with lots of hands-on activities.

The Power of Poetry (for primary and junior students)
Get the most out of your literature units when your students apply some of the techniques presented in this workshop. Drawing on her knowledge as a writer of literacy materials for English Language Learners, Ms. Becker presents a variety of ways to use poetry to build vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, grammar and imagination. Participants will enjoy a variety of humorous poems, used as examples to illustrate rhyme, rhythm, synonyms, homonyms, context clues, and more. Takeaways include black line masters. 50 minute workshop.

Essay Writing ?The Clown’s Way (for junior and middle grade students)
Who says writing an essay isn’t fun? In this squirting flower of a workshop, students will learn the art of essay writing through humour. Essays are structured exactly like jokes, comic strips or comedian’s monologues, so we use examples of each to teach the fine art of explication. You’ll begin the workshop by learning how to write your own stand up comedy routine or to create a slapstick clown act. Then we’ll use the same principles to illustrate the steps of creating an effective essay that includes an introduction, body paragraphs with a topic sentence and three examples, and a wrap it up conclusion. 50 minute workshop.

Special Equipment:

Projector and screen for PowerPoint presentation.

Book Sales:

Copies of books can be brought to be sold and autographed.

Biography

Helaine Becker is an award-winning writer of books, articles, and educational materials. Boredom Blasters was published in 2004 by Maple Tree Press and was selected as a Top Children’s Pick by both BookSense and Indigo. It was shortlisted for the Rocky Mountain Book Awards and was the winner of the Silver Birch Award for non-fiction.

Are You Psychic? was selected as a “Top Ten Children’s Book” by the Ontario Library Association and was shortlisted for Information Children’s Book of the Year. Funny Business was published by Maple Tree Press in 2005. Both Are You Psychic? and Funny Business are currently shortlisted for the Red Cedar Award. Like a Pro! offers kids how-tos for 101 absolutely necessary skills, from how to skip a stone to how to survive on a desert island. New titles include Secret Agent Y.O.U., Mother Goose Unplucked and The Emperor Strikes Out, the fifth volume in a popular chapter book series, The Looney Bay All-Stars, published by Scholastic Canada.

In addition, she is the author of nine phonic-based picture books published by Learning Resources for beginning readers. Titles include: Rosa’s Cold, Peanut-Free and Ben’s Tent. Drew features a pre-schooler who is learning to skateboard; Twirly Girl is the story of a would-be ballet dancer who must buy new shoes.

She contributed to Learning Resources’ Phonics Program in 2005, writing poems and stories for beginning readers for whom English is a second language. Spelling Puzzlers for Grade 1was published by Rigby Publishers in 2000. Collaborative Teaching in the Middle Grades: Inquiry Science was published in 2005 by Libraries Unlimited; Daily Skill Builders: Science and Technology was published in 2004 by J. Weston Walch.

Helaine is a frequent contributor to major consumer publications such as Today’s Parent and Canadian Living. She has taught a seminar in Writing for Children for the Canadian Authors Association and is in demand as a presenter and performer at schools across Canada. She toured the Yukon in 2004 for TD Canadian Children’s Book Week, and appeared on the Main Stage at Harbourfront’s ALOUD Children’s Festival.

OTHER PRESENTATIONS:
Real Science (for all grade teachers)
Science isn’t about what an atom is or knowing that hot air rises. Science is the “art of curiosity.” In this very creative workshop, designed to spark the spirit of scientific inquiry in young minds, you will find out how to present science as a way of looking at the world. Convey the idea that science is something that all students, of all ages can actively engage in, and you will create independent, critical thinkers while building true scientific literacy. In this hands on 50-minute workshop, you‘ll do experiments drawn from Ms. Becker’s books that will show you how you can be a scientist today, right here and now, without a science degree or any special knowledge. All you’ll need is a sense of wonder and some scientific principles and language. Get ready to find out if you are psychic, and explore such important scientific questions such as, “do men fart more than women?” and “Where does bellybutton lint come from?”

Ms. Becker was actively engaged in contemporary science education for more than fifteen years as a producer and distributor of science-related teaching materials. She has developed hundreds of teaching lessons on science curricular topics, ranging from Grade 1 to high school physics. The greatest risk to science literacy, Ms. Becker believes, is the current thinking among students that science is a “subject” that it involves the ingestion of information delivered by a teacher or taken from a book. While there is certainly a great deal of information to learn under the heading of “science curriculum,” the most important aspect of science remains the process of scientific inquiry, an active and experiential way of looking at the world. Take away from this workshop include worksheets and a copy of Are You Psychic? Or Science on the Loose, both of which will be used during the workshop.

DPA: Incorporating Daily Physical Education into Your Curriculum (for primary and junior grade teachers)
Get your heart pumping as you learn twenty-five activities that meet the new DPA requirements while teaching math, science, language arts and other curriculum topics.

Collaborative Teaching – Making the Most of Your School Media Centre (for All Teachers, Librarians and Administrators)
Ms. Becker is the author of Collaborative Teaching in the Middle Grades, a detailed how-to on integrating current information science curriculum with science units. She is also on the board of the Ontario Coalition for School Libraries, and has written a document for use in evaluating the effectiveness of your school media centre. In this workshop, you will learn about the ways an up-to-date media centre can enhance your school’s performance in all subject areas. Discover the role of the media specialist in developing integrated student projects that build research skills, critical thinking, creativity, character, and fact-based knowledge. You will find out how the media centre, when it is your school’s hub, can help students become more independent and more competent learners. Take away examples of powerful integrated lessons, checklists, evaluation rubrics, and other useful handouts. 50 minutes.

Math Games for Spies, Wizards and other Interesting People (for primary and junior grade teachers)
Break codes, defeat man-eating spiders, solve a murder, out-swim a shark, and predict the future – using math! These superfun games will build skills in logic, computation, spatial sense and more. 50 minute workshop.

The Power of Poetry (for primary and junior grade teachers)
Get the most out of your literature units when you learn some of the techniques presented in this workshop. Drawing on her knowledge as a writer of literacy materials for English Language Learners, Ms. Becker presents a variety of ways to use poetry to build vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, grammar and imagination. Participants will enjoy a variety of humorous poems, used as examples to illustrate rhyme, rhythm, synonyms, homonyms, context clues, and more. Takeaways include black line masters. 50 minute workshop.

Essay Writing − The Clown’s Way (for junior and middle grade teachers)
Who says writing an essay isn’t fun? In this squirting flower of a workshop, learn the art of teaching essay writing through humour. Essays are structured exactly like jokes, comic strips or comedian’s monologues, so we use examples of each to teach the fine art of explication. You’ll begin the workshop by learning how to write your own stand up comedy routine or to create a slapstick clown act. Then we’ll use the same principles to illustrate the steps of creating an effective essay that includes an introduction, body paragraphs with a topic sentence and three examples, and a wrap it up conclusion. 50 minute workshop.

Stimulating Creativity in Your Students (for junior grade, middle school and high school teachers)
Get ready to laugh out loud in this fun and funny hands-on workshop on boosting lateral thinking. Using proven techniques used by writers, comedians and cartoonists, Ms. Becker will show you how to unleash your students’ creative thinking skills and how to loosen up those uptight tweens and teens you call your students. Association lists, the magic grid, defeating the blank page, doodling, the world’s worst first sentence and more! 50 minutes; with lots of hands-on activities.