Bring Ted Scheu to Your School!

Ted Scheu (“That Poetry Guy”) is a former teacher living in Vermont. Ted, whose work appears in three Meadowbrook Press anthologies, works full-time writing hilarious poetry and visiting schools like yours. Ted’s exuberant assemblies blend his funny poetry with interactive demonstrations of the power of poems. A former elementary teacher, Ted also loves to work with students in a workshop setting, inspiring students to find their writers' voices with poetry.

Home: Middlebury, VT
Travels to: Ted travels anywhere he’s invited.
Ted has written: I Froze My Mother and Other Seriously Funny Family Poems (Trafford Publishing)
Ted's poems appear in: I Hope I Don't Strike Out!, Miles of Smiles, Rolling in the Aisles, and If Kids Ruled the School, and My Teacher's In Detention.

Rates for Schools in Vermont

Half-Day Visit: $450 plus travel and other expenses
One-Day Visit: $600 plus travel and other expenses
Evening Event: $400 (available only when you book a school visit)

Rates for Schools Outside Vermont

Half-Day Visit: $1,000 plus travel and hotel
One-Day Visit: $1,200 plus travel and hotel
Two-Day Residency: $2,000 plus travel and hotel
One-Week Residency: $5,000 plus travel and hotel
Evening Event: $500 (available only when you book a school visit)

Click here for more information

Biography

Ted Scheu, “That Poetry Guy,” has poems in Miles of Smiles, Rolling in the Aisles, and If Kids Ruled the School. He is also a former elementary teacher (K-5) who knows how to help kids find their writer's voices. He visits over fifty schools a year and hasn't disappointed one yet. It will be a program your kids won't stop writing about! He now works full-time writing hilarious poetry and visiting schools like yours.

Ted lives in Middlebury, VT, with his wife and two children in a cozy house on a beautiful, cow-cluttered hillside. He also has a 10-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, Chelsea.

Click here to read an interview with Ted Scheu.

Click here for more information

Event Description

Fasten your seatbelts, sharpen your pencils, and get ready to giggle!

When was the last time a visiting author deeply connected with your kids—listened to them, laughed with them, and inspired them to dramatically improve their writing quality and confidence? Ted Scheu would love to come to your elementary school and classroom to do just that.

As a former elementary teacher, Ted knows first-hand the challenges you face helping children—both the precarious and the precocious—find their voices as writers. Armed with his poetry, his energy, and his experience, he's ready to help all your kids—including the tangled ones—get excited about writing.

Whether Ted is at your school for one day or for several, he'll kick off with a rollicking, interactive assembly of 40-50 minutes, followed by classroom workshops that get all kids writing and sharing. Teachers may choose from several workshop topics. They get to stand back (or, better yet, get involved) as Ted throws every particle of his being into your program, striving to bring lasting sparkles into the minds and eyes of young writers.

Rhyme and Rhythm (Grades K-8)
Every good poem, whether it’s rhyming or not, has a wonderful rhythm--a music all it’s own. Ted will help students look at some examples that use different metric forms. Then they'll work as a group to complete the second lines of couplets, so that they have both a rhythm and rhyme that makes sense and hopefully is pleasing to the ear. Finally, as a group, or as an individual writing exercise, they will write a rhyming poem (or maybe a few couplets) that borrows a very comfortable & predictable form and theme from a famous rhyming poem. The results are always delightful. What kid doesn’t like to rhyme?!

Making Visual & Sensory Comparisons (Grades K-8)
Good writers use visual and sensory tools like metaphor and simile to enhance the meaning of poems, and prose writing too! Ted will look at some amazing examples with your students, then, as a group, ‘spin’ some metaphors and similes about themselves, famous people, or natural objects. They will then write their own poems that compare things to other things using imagery and figurative language. Ted brings plenty of props to get everyone inspired. Often he'll invite the kids to bring in an important object to write about.

Writing From The Heart (Grades 2-8)
Getting kids to share feelings is one of the gifts of poetry. After reading some examples, and modeling the process, Ted will often set the kids loose to do a quick “Heart Map.” Then he’ll share some examples of ‘heartful’ poems, and they will begin to write their own poems about particularly important memories or special places. As always, Ted will have students share some rough drafts at the end of the session, if the poets wish to. Whew!

The Writing Process & Revision (Grades 2-8)
Finding the best words, to say exactly what you want to say, is a writer’s greatest challenge. And getting kids to REVISE their work might just be a teacher’s greatest challenge. Ted will look at some real-life examples of his poems and his process of revision, write a quick group poem and revise it, then have kids write one on their own. Using a short, kid-tested checklist (which he will leave behind for teachers), Ted will work with students through their poems, strengthening and polishing them, and then encourage them to share their work.

Click here for more information

Sample Poem

Cursive Curse

My m’s are much too bumpy.
My u’s are far too lumpy.
My k’s are way too droopy.
My l’s are all too loopy.
My e’s are i’s, and i’s are e’s.
My z’s have got some rare disease.
My y’s are tilted to the right.
My x is not a handsome sight.
My wimpy r’s are worst of all;
The bumps on top are much too small.

My pencil shouts to stop for air.
My hand is sore. This isn’t fair!
My teacher doesn’t understand.
I’ll never have a steady hand.
I feel a need to scream—or worse.
So close your ears, ‘cause I might curse.

© 2004 by Ted Scheu. Reprinted from If Kids Ruled the School (Meadowbrook Press).

Testimonials

"You exceeded all of our expectations. As Vermont schools struggle with the writing standards, this type of presentation couldn't be more relevant. What I saw was children engaged in the writing process: drawing on prior knowledge; making connections; using their imaginations in an environment that was safe and supportive; and, most importantly, talking about how important revision is to the creative process. It was awesome!"
—Principal, Brookfield, VT

"My class was so enthusiastic about your visit. You pulled them right into the presentation, and you reinforced so many of the things I am currently teaching. You are truly an inspiration to the students. I can't wait until next year!
—Third-grade teacher, Riverside, CT

"Your residency was fantastic. Poetry of high quality continues to be written."
—Principal, Norfolk, MA

"I found your lesson to be especially important for our boys because they are learning to use their hearts along with their minds. Would you visit us every year?
—Third-grade teacher, Brunswick School, CT

"Mr. Scheu has been coming to our school for two years now. His rapport with the students is wonderful and the skills he teaches them for writing really work."
—Third-grade teacher, Lincoln-Titus School, NY

"You are like a fourth grader in a grown-up's body! Both you and your writing relate to kids in a wonderfully comfortable way."
—Fourth-grade teacher, NY

"As you know, we are a rural school with limited resources and a lot of heart, and you added to that heart. Your message will carry on!"
—Principal, Stockbridge, VT

"Ted was wonderful for all grades. He got our creative juices flowing. He is wonderful!" —Fifth-grade teacher, Yorktown Heights, NY

"Thanks for everything. Your presentation and the workshops were just fantastic. We are definitely interested in having you come again."
—Second-grade teacher, American School of London, UK

"Ted Scheu is fun, positive and enthusiastic. He provides a fresh approach to developing creative writing skills, and sparks and inspires students and teachers alike.
—Third-grade teacher, Armonk, NY

"The presentation exceeded our expectations—your energy totally engaged the children. We loved you and want you back next year!"
— Third-grade teacher, Millis, MA

"Your visit to North Street School gave my students and my writing program a tremendous boost! To see the children respond because they recognized ideas we had previously explored was very exciting. My only regret is that you didn't have more time to spend with us. Many, many thanks for all of your hard work!"
—Andrea Abbott, fourth-grade teacher, North Street School, CT

"Your poetry presentation was superb! The students were totally engaged, which might not always be successful with 35 students in one room. Everyone was writing!"
—Alana Lilly and Jane Brace, third-and-fourth-grade teachers, Ferrisburgh Central School, VT

"Ted, you were terrific! You certainly captivated the students with your ‘kid friendly’ poems, and you won over those children who thought they'd hate poetry. You were very positive always, and you addressed them as poets—not children. Thank you!"
—Sylvia Walsh, third-grade teacher, Old Greenwich School, CT

"Your presentation exceeded my expectations. My children were so motivated that they came back to the classroom and wrote poetry during their break (which is sacred 'down time')! I was thrilled to see that as a role model you also came across...several of my poets were guys (in 5th grade!!!)"
—Dawn Baker, fifth-grade teacher, Kearsarge Regional ES, NH

"Ted, you did a wonderful performance—you engaged both a large group of children (100 students), and a small group—you made poetry come alive for our students! We would highly recommend you for other schools."
—Terry Thyng, first-through-fourth-grade teacher, Williston Central School, VT

"Your presentation was very motivating and entertaining for my students. The children were very excited to write poems, and many wrote them at home and brought them to school. They were willing to share and anxious to put them in final form. Your reading of your poems was very motivational. We all loved your visit."
—Barbara Schutzman, second-grade teacher, Parkway School, Greenwich, CT

...And here's what kids say:

"Dear Mr. Scheu, the Poetry Guy,
It was cool to have you at our school.
We had fun, but we're not done.
We'll write and write, far into the night.,
Cause Poetry rocks,
It blows off our socks!"
—Third and fourth graders, Stockbridge, VT

"We never in our whole lives heard anybody who could talk like that Mr. Ted Scheu!"
—Third graders, Riverside School, CT

"I love your poems! I can't wait until you come back next year!"
—Rebecca, third grade, Riverside, CT

"I love your pomes they are the greasted pomes ever. I adsolutely love poetroy [sic]."
—Second grader, CT

"Mr. Scheu, you're the best. Better than all the rest! Thank you for coming and giving us tips. Now, when we write poems, we'll LET IT RIP!"
—Mrs. Clement's fourth-grade class, Kearsarge Regional Elementary, New London, NH

"You're as good as Shel Silverstein!" —A brilliant but slightly confused sixth grader in Enosburg, VT

Click here for more information

If you’re interested in booking an event with Ted Scheu, 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.