Home: Levant, ME
Travels to: Robert travels anywhere he’s invited.
Robert has written: I’m Allergic to School!, Poems with Moxie (Blue Lobster Press), MAINE: The Way Life Is (Blue Lobster Press), and MAINE: The Way Wildlife Should Be (Blue Lobster Press).
Robert has co-authored: Tinkle, Tinkle, Little Tot
His poems appear in: I Hope I Don't Strike Out!, Dinner with Dracula, My Teacher's in Detention, Miles of Smiles, I've Been Burping in Classroom, Oh My Darling, Porcupine, If Kids Ruled the School, Rolling in the Aisles, If I Ran the School (Scholastic), The Ultimate Guide to Celebrating Kids, Vol. II (Blue Grass Publishing), and Destination Reading Course I (Riverdeep).

Rates for Schools in Maine

Half-Day Visit: $350 plus travel and other expenses
One-Day Visit: $625 plus travel and other expenses
Two-Day Residency: $1,100 plus travel and other expenses
One-Week Residency: $2,700 plus travel and other expenses
Evening Event: $250 (available only when you book a school visit)

Rates for Schools Outside of Maine

Half-Day Visit: $800 plus travel and other expenses
One-Day Visit: $1,200 plus travel and other expenses*
Two-Day Residency: $2,000 plus travel and other expenses*
One-Week Residency: $5,000 plus travel and other expenses*
Evening Event: $250 (available only when you book a school visit)

*In most cases, if your school can commit to an author visit at least three months in advance, Robert can offer you a flat fee of $300 per day for travel expenses - including airfare, lodging, and car rental! (If your school is in a remote or difficult to access location he may not be able to offer the $300 flat fee.)

Click here for more information

Biography

Robert Pottle is the author of four books of hilarious children's poetry including his latest I'm Allergic to School. He is the co-author of Tinkle, Tinkle, Little Tot and his poems are featured in at least nine anthologies. Robert spent ten years as a first-grade teacher and is now a full-time children's poet sharing his passion and enthusiasm for learning in schools across the country. Robert is the creator of two popular children's poetry web sites. He has animated several of his poems and produces the Funny Poems Podcast.

Listen to a Funny Poems Podcast with recordings from school visits.

Click here to read an interview with Robert Pottle.

Event Descriptions

School visits include a large group performance, small group presentations, writer's workshops - you choose. The only limit on the number of presentations and workshops is the length of your school day!

Large Group Performances - up to 350 students per performance

Laugh Along Poetry (pre K - 6th grade, 45 min.)
Start your school's author visit with a bang. Robert dramatically performs his funny poems and stories with plenty of audience participation. This performance typically kicks off an author visit and builds an enthusiasm for poetry that can later be capitalized upon in writing workshops.

Classroom Presentations - up to 60 students per session

Small Group Performance (K - 6th, 20 min.)
Poems are preformed in a small-group setting, allowing for more interaction and questions.

The Bus (4th - 6th grade, 20-40 min.)
Ride along and watch the creation of a poem through many revisions to finished poem. Students will learn about Robert's creative process and the revision process by getting a rare glimpse into a real writer's notebook. Along the way, proper use of alliteration, consonance, assonance, rhyme scheme, and cadence will be demonstrated. Also, find out why writing poetry is a great fit for people with a short attention span.

Act Along (K - 3rd grade, 20 min.)
Group participation poetry. There are a lot of complicated, and difficult ways to teach how to create rhythm in a poem or song. When big scary words like "trochaic te-trameter," start being used, students start looking for a window to stare at (or escape out of!) Robert has designed age appropriate movement activities to help students internalize rhythm and cadence without the use of big scary words.

Acting Out (3rd - 6th grade, 20 min.)
By the end of Robert's large group performances children are jumping out of their seats to help act out a poem. This workshop gives children a chance to do just that and learn a few performance tips along the way. Children will learn about volume, speaking speed, and movement as they perform various poems. All of these skills are easily transfered to public speaking.

Writing Workshops - up to 30 students per workshop

Crazy Farm (K - 1st grade, 20 min.)
Children will participate in a rhyming exercise that enhances phonemic awareness. Robert calls this activity phonics in reverse. The rhymes students come up with will then be used to create a funny fill-in-the-blank rhyming poem, while demonstrating the importance of the revision process.

Haiku (2nd - 6th grade, 20 min.)
Students will learn how to write a haiku through an animated digital presentation. Robert will then assist the students in writing their own haikus. Students will learn about revision, counting syllables, and the difference between haikus and senryus.

Write with Robert (2nd - 6th grade, 40 min.)
Robert will guide students through the early stages of idea development for a poem. Students will pick a topic and research it before Robert's visit. Robert will then rely on his class of experts to help him brainstorm ideas, generate rhymes, develop humor, and begin a poem. Since this workshop involves on-the-spot creativity, it's quality ranges from magically outstanding to simply instructional.

Cinquain (3rd - 6th grade, 20 min.)
Students will learn how to write a cinquain through an animated digital presentation. Robert will then assist the students in writing their own cinquains. Students will learn about the revision process, counting syllables, and mathematical patterns found in a cinquain.

Clerihew (4th - 6th grade, 20 min.)
Students will learn how to write a clerihew through an animated digital presentation. Robert will then assist the students in writing their own clerihews. Students will learn about revision, rhyming, and the appropriate use of humor.

Workshops for Educators (additional fees may apply)

Robert Pottle's Matrix Writing (K - 8th grade, 1 - 2 hours)
There is a pattern that great stories follow. Robert has taken those writing secrets he has learned as a children's author, organized them with his experience as a teacher, to create Robert Pottle's Matrix Writing. There are many great programs out there that deal with the writing process - Robert Pottle's Matrix Writing differs from those programs in that it also teaches the structure, elements, and craft used to write great stories.

Authentic Writing Tips from an Authentic Author (K - 8th grade, 1 - 3 hours)
"Teach students to be great writers, and those students will get great writing scores." How odd that a statement like that should be the least bit controversial. This workshop focuses on specific ready-to-use activities to teach students to be great writers of poetry.

Keynote Speeches (separate fee schedule)

Do It Now: The Power of Words
A motivational speech to inspire writers both young and old. Learn how the power of the written word can help you to set, work toward, and achieve gigantic goals.

Click here for more information

Sample Poem

The Bus

Sixty kids and one adult,
you gotta love those odds.
The perfect place for pulling pranks
and throwing paper wads.
Hank is standing on his head.
Billy's playing ball.
Peter wet his pants again.
Tasha pushes Paul.
Steven steals. Kevin cries.
Millicent is missing.
Katie punched her cousin Keith.
Ben and Jen are kissing.
Me, I'm taking lots of notes
on public transportation.
I think the bus provides me with
the finest education.

© 2007 by Robert Pottle. Reprinted from I'm Allergic to School! (Meadowbrook Press).

Testimonials

"Robert magically slipped writing lessons into a comedy act!"
—Mary Jo Sears, Librarian, Claude Thompson Elementary, Marshall, VA

"Great audience participation during your large group presentation. I loved all the use of props. Thanks for choosing a variety of students to assist. I also loved the "follow up" small group poetry lesson."
—Heidi Cave, 6th Grade Teacher, Edison Elementary, Mesa, AZ

"The third grade program directly related to our writing program. I loved when you told them that it took five months to finish a poem, and that you showed them pictures from inside your writer's notebook."
—Emily Miksovic, Music Teacher, Gordon-Barbour Elementary, Gordonsville, VA

"Robert made the experience of an author visit easy for the organizer, relevant for the teachers in their curriculum, and exciting for the students. The planning guide was an exceptional tool for organizers. He was a dynamic performer who created enthusiasm not just for poetry, but for writ-ing and reading as well."
—Holly Gutierrez, Librarian, Edison Elementary, Mesa, AZ

"Mr. Pottle was very engaging for all classes from K - 6. He presented wonderful poetry for sharing and then in separate workshops was able to show students how a poem was thought of, worked through and developed. He was inspiring to students and teachers alike!"
—Myrna J. Robinson, Writing Teacher, Grades 4, 5, and 6, Cape Cod Hill School, New Sharon, ME

"You did such a great job of keeping our students engaged during the entire presentation."
—Amy Taylor, Teacher, Gordon-Barbour Elementary, Gordonsville, VA

"My 4th grade students thoroughly enjoyed listening to your poetry and participating in the lesson. I was pleasantly surprised when one of my least motivated students was able to remember the pattern for Cinquain a week after your visit. Thank you for making poetry so enjoyable. I hope to see you again."
—Yolanda Aguilar, 4th Grade SEI Teacher, Edison Elementary, Mesa, AZ

"You really understand the way kids think. I was very impressed with your morning presentation for the whole school. It was appropriate for all grade levels, K - 5, and that is a hard thing to do! As a music teacher, I was especially impressed with all of your creative lyrics to well-known children songs. A job well done! Thank you for coming to our school!"
—Mary Anderson, Music Teacher, Gordon-Barbour Elementary, Gordonsville, VA

"Mr. Pottle's presentation was joyous! He brought poetry to life for my students. It is important that first graders see that authors are real people and not just another picture in their story books."
—Joanne Beal, 1st Grade Teacher, Ella Lewis School, Steuben, ME

"You know it is good when students and teachers are talking about it the rest of the day. Parents came to me that evening and the next day all saying their kids came home talking about your visit. We even had teachers making up poems at lunchtime due to your inspiration. Thank you."
—Susan Anhold, Librarian, Crozet Elementary, Crozet, VA

"Your visit with us was amazing! Every student was totally involved both in the full assembly and the individual grade level session. I have never seen our students so excited by poetry."
—Nancy Tate, Library Assistant, Claude Thompson Elementary, Marshall, VA

"Robert Pottle's visit was great. The children love him and his books. I would welcome another visit, and strongly recommend him as a presenter for cultural enrichment activities in the elementary school setting!"
—Delese Hovey, 4th Grade Teacher, Bicentennial Elementary, Nashua, NH

"I have a class of students with severe disabilities and it is always great when there's an activity that my students can enjoy along with the rest of the school community. They had a wonderful time at the all school presentation because the room was filled with laughter and children having a fun time. Thank you for giving my students a fun poetry experience!"
—Linda Glover, Special Education Teacher, Gordon-Barbour Elementary, Gordonsville, VA

Click here for more information

If you’re interested in booking an event with Robert Pottle, please fill out the Author Visit Query form or contact our Author Appearance Manager at 800-338-2232, ext. 105, or admin@authorsinschools.com. We look forward to working with you.