WELCOME TO MY LITTLE CORNER OF CYBER-SPACE!!!
I'm so excited that you've found me. I am thrilled to the guest on the Global weekly Pep Talk. Now a little bit more about me.
This is what I look like to a five year old, kindergarten child in Texas. I LUV that she noticed my unique appreciation of stripes and polka-dots. NAILED IT!
(Although there is some evidence that I have a neck.)
During this time of pandemic reality, I no longer have a calendar filled with Teacher Conference presentations and keynotes nor am I able to be making my beloved author-illustrator school visits.
Soooooooooooooooooooooooo....................
Instead, three times a week I provide a half hour program of
SONGS AND FUN FOR EVERYONE!
*Tune in on my personal FB page
While I appreciate every opportunity that I have to speak directly to teachers, parents and librarians,
I absolutely ADORE every opportunity that I have to work directly with children.
Here are a few favorite photos.
Sometimes I have the intimacy of a small classroom.
Sometimes the auditorium or library is filled to the brim.
I have written and recorded 100 songs for children.
I have turned three of my songs into traditional picture book format.
My first book is entitled,
"You're Wonderful."
The song is from my first ever recording,
WHICH WAS IN CASSETTE TAPE FORMAT!
I personally designed and created the illustrations for my book, from fabric, as small quilts.
16 quilts makes a 32 page book.
TA DA!!!
When I make school visits, often times the children create 'quilts' to welcome me to their building.
Do you know the game "Where's Waldo?"
This is the version, "Digging for Debbie!"
Can you find me?
For our pep talk together, our conversation is all about
"Choosing the Right Words with Children."
After becoming familiar with my song and book,
Here's the LARGEST quilt collaboration ever created for my visit!
We will begin by talking about the use of affirmations in our speaking to children. The lyrics of my song/text of the book are filled with affirmations.
"I think you're wonderful.
I think you're marvelous.
I think you're beautiful and magical and filled with curiosity
and DREAMS!"
These next several pictures are from an Artist Residency in Colorado.
The teachers had set up a photo booth and each student told what they were 'wonderful' at, which was recorded and then photographed.
Each student also created a quilt square on a nine-patch, Tic Tac, Toe like page of 'oak-tag'.
The quilt squares were mounted and then a border of the individual photographs was created to encircle the student artwork.
After becoming familiar with my song and book,
teachers have directed their students to identify a quality that describes them.
I have had the opportunity to see several such works in person.
Have I mentioned that I absolutely LUV LUV LUV LUV making school visits?
Here's the LARGEST quilt collaboration ever created for my visit!
I've gathered some additional resources for you on this topic.
I hope that you can visit some of these sites and learn from each in the process.
We can all excel when we work at something that brings encouragement to the children we love, we care for and we teach.
I will continue to expand this list of resources over the coming week.
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