Some Great Organization Tips With My Good Friend Debbie!

OH HAPPY DAY!! I get to celebrate SIMPLY KINDER!
What fun. What delight! I have the honor of contributing a guest post here as Jennifer  focuses her energies to bring you SIMPLY KINDER.  It's a thrill to introduce myself to new readers. Let's get this party started! 
  

I am the hardest working music-lady, author/illustrator woman that your readers most likely have never met. What fun to introduce myself. Drum roll...... I'm Debbie Clement!!! I get to spend a lot of time making author illustrator school visits in Kindergarten. I know that you can relate to this drawing above. I bet you have something similar hanging above your desk! This is why we LUV our kinders, because they keep it simple and they see LOVE in the air and sprinkle hearts every where they go! 


Its an honor to be invited to kindergarten. I get to come for a day -- or sometimes two -- and my plan is to share my 'story' with the children in your room. My goal is to encourage your students. Inspire them. Delight them. Sing with them. And yes. Show them love in the course of our time together. How awesome is that?

For the last 16 years I have used the motto, "Have guitar, will travel." From those early classroom visits and staff development presentations I went on to record my original songs for the classroom onto 7 CDs. They're known to my fan club as, "Debbie's Ditties."  At this point I've recorded over 100 original songs! Most recently I have added the layer of being an 'Author and Illustrator,' as I have turned 3 of my songs into traditional picture books, acting as author, illustrator AND publisher! These little projects of mine have taken me on some amazing adventures. Can I have a whooop-whoooop? 

Long Island , NY Collaborative Kindergarten Project

My favorite thing in kindergarten visits is to bring my original quilts and we compare them to the presentation of the images in the printed traditional hardback books. When the students see the quilts and the open books they *finally* connect the dots that I'm the one who made the book. Often times the children have created art projects in response to my work. LUV LUV LUV LUV LUV seeing it!

My story is a compelling one. I am the poster child for 'do-what-you-love and amazing opportunities will present themselves'. I could ramble on and on about:

• my two European adventures to present concerts and presentations to the children of our troops stationed abroad PLUS my day in Reggio , ITALY
• my other two books and classroom responses to those works 
• taking out a loan on our house to get my first book into your hands 
• being a two-time Breast Cancer survivor with a zest for living
• my quest to get my blog connected to a wider world
• my travels giving keynotes and workshops across the country.

"You're Wonderful" by Debbie Clement: book's text based on her song's lyrics

Based on the enthusiastic response of children to my visits, I would encourage you to pursue creating an 'author' visit when ever possible. No doubt you have a local dignitary eager to make a visit. Check SCBWI (Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) for a possible local candidate for your consideration. My goal for the new school year is to create Skype author visits for classrooms too far away from my itinerary. Let's use the technology available to make excitement unfold in your room!!

My own blog of my travels into schools around the country and around the globe is over at RainbowsWithinReach. My newest claim to fame is that I am editor-in-chief over at the collaborative blog PreK+K Sharing where we have about 35 authors contributing one article each month. I throw down the welcome mat for each -- when you have the opportunity to hop over for a visit. Small world. I've gathered up the very best contributors.

The number one article on my blog is one on Organization in the Classroom, people seem to really appreciate the photos from my travels into oodles of classrooms. My article over at PreK+K with the most views is one I wrote on the distinction between Process + Product in Children's Art.  It seems that the old art-teacher in me is quite opinionated. 


I get to give the keynote for the state of Arkansas this fall and Tennessee next winter. Lots of other conferences from FL to OH are getting the details worked out as I type. Wouldn't it be awesome to meet in person? Until then please follow my blog(s) or my growing Pinterest collection, where 19,500++ of your peers have already got a jump on you and my ever-growing pin-boards!


Let me close by offering an opportunity for you to look over my shoulder at a kindergarten school visit in Amityville, NY as we started off our time together in their school gym. Thank you for your efforts on behalf of children everywhere. 

-- Debbie --

***If you ever order from my website, please use the promo code "great" and receive 10% off your order. That should pay for the shipping. 

Please don't forget to stop by and register to win at $25 TpT Gift Certificate!