Back-to-School: Begin with the End in Mind Resources

"BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND!" -- Steven Covey

August first. 

School is about to launch for many children. 

School buses will begin chugging up and down their routes.

I've fallen in LUV with Lizz the Kinder-teacher. 

We got to hug and visit yesterday in real life. 

She has set things up for my author-illustrator visits in the past. 

These memories below are from a previous visit.

Seeing her so enthusiastic for the return to her kinders, 

reminded me of these earlier photos. 

{Why, YES. I do enjoy my work! Thanks for asking.}   

By the end of the school year we return back to WI! 

I got invited BACK to attend the 'graduation' of these kinder-kiddos. 

Walking into the kinder hallway, 

there were pictures of *MOI* in the year's highlights review! 

So, yes. I took pictures of the pictures! 

Cue Barbara Streisand: "Memories." 

Took my breath away to know I rate the highlight reel!

---------------------------------

Last month I was able to complete a TeacherTribute iMovie. 

With the help of many of my PreK+K Sharing #TeacherFriends..... 

I give you inspiration to BEGIN with the END in Mind! 

 

Now let's take a closer look at Lizz' Kinder graduation.

Take a look at these colorful, Kindergarten mortar boards!

Make note of the drawings on this wall. 

They are a set of 'then' and 'now' self-portraits. 

I'll give you a closer look momentarily.  

Kindergarten Graduation: Class of 2026

Everyone in Lizz's class gets a two sided, laminated diploma. The front is the official and signed memento, but even more touching is the drawing on the back, with the caption, "When I am older I will be a __________. Just you wait and see." 

"When I am older I will be a pilot. Just you wait and see." 

As if the diploma is not enough of a memento..... 
each child has a class shirt, 
complete with self-portraits of everyone in the class!
The shirts are ordered LARGER than the kiddos. 
Rumor has it that many graduating seniors still sport their kindergarten t-shirt lo, those many years later. 

I have LOTS of favorite parts of this event. 

As a former elementary art teacher, parent and now grandparent? 

My FAVE FAVE is the self-portrait drawings captured at the beginning of the year, 

and then mounted with a final portrait as the year concludes. 

Laminated together. 

PROGRESS. 

Real. Live. Tangible. PROGRESS! 

Right there as a reminder!

Who remembers how far we've come? 

Who can go back that far? 

Here is the evidence.  

So it is that we: 

Begin with the End in Mind

Look at the first day self portraits on the left. 

Compare to the end-of-year progress on the right! 

Kindergarten is the year that many children gain their bodies in self portraits. 

Many of these children have gained hands and feet. 

Most have gained clothing. 

Clothing with details! 

Incredible skills have been mastered in observation and rendering. 

Look at this Kindergarten photo booth backdrop! 

August is the perfect time to begin planning for me to come to YOUR school for an author/illustrator visit! 

For the first time in recorded history, I will be making at least two trips to CA this year. It is a HUGE honor to announce that I have been selected to present at NAEYC in November!!! I will return in February for the Southern Kindergarten Conference. 

NOW is the time to plant the seeds to have me come to YOUR school. 

It all begins with your brainstorm. 

I have an entire slideshow of my travels -- to get your wheels turning.

Author illustrator slideshare from Debbie Clement

YES!!! ALL of my books may be ordered from me directly. 

They are also over at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

*I also have digital files of 'just' the song, in Mp3 format with pdfs of the support material at TpT. 

If you are reading this article in 'real' time, 

you can take advantage of the BTS sale at TpT! 

ALL of my digital files are on sale! 

My newest digital file includes the Mp3 for the End-of-Year slideshow song, from the video. 

Now more than ever, we need to encourage our fellow educators. 

Would you consider sharing the video from your FB page? 

It was made with LUV. 

Many of our contributing authors here at the collaborative contributed images. 

I have outlined all of the contributors in this article at my own blog. 

The response to "our" Wobble Seats has been incredible! 
Teachers that started with a couple are now back for MORE! 
It is mostly a matter of budget realities. 
Perhaps you have some 'new' dollars to spend with the 'new' year? 

When you order your wobbles at WobbleSeat.com you support our extended family. 

We can accept purchase orders. 

We offer discounts for quantity orders. 

We can also give you free shipping on LARGE quantity orders. 

So get your whole team together for the best pricing. 

If you have questions, please call my husband Allen. 

He takes care of all the wobbles! 

I am so very grateful for every pin that you initiate. 

That is often how people discover me! 

Such a kindness. 

Thank you!!!

Join my 193,500+ Pin Followers, Click the pic! 

Did you see my article here last month? 

I gathered 83 favorite edu-quotes into one article. 

Sometimes we just need something pithy to encourage. 

Here are some of my other favorite RoundUPs over on my blog. 

These are labors of love created from the photos that I take on my school visits. 

Just click the photo below to go to the article. 

Veterans Day Observed with Kindergarten + Early Elementary Students

"Paint your own Rainbow" 

With just over a week away for an annual Veteran's Day program, I thought you could benefit from some classroom inspiration -- in response to my patriotic "Red, White and Blue" -- which is both a song and a picture book as well! 

Take a look at the creative projects underway in preparation for Veteran's Day!

These were being made in the art room.*

*I have LOTS to show you from this amazingly creative art teacher over the weeks ahead! 

Here's my digital download version of the song and support materials. 

The zipped file is available at Teachers Pay Teachers. 

If you HURRY I think there's still sufficient time to order the physical picture book, that needs the time to get from me to you. You can get that at TpT too. 

Math + Engineering in Preschool with Post-it Notes! STEAM!

How do you turn STEM into STEAM in Preschool? 

MIX IN THE ARTS of COURSE! 

The year of 2015 will be remembered as a year of introspection for me: 

personally and professionally. 

We are off to a whizz-bang start on all fronts. 

Which leaves me with a lot of introspection and examination. 

Things I know for sure: 

1. There are amazing people in the Early Childhood world: 

Amazing people directing AMAZING work from very young children! 

Preschool Bulletin Board: Self-Esteem, Math and Engineering QUILTED Together!

I've just finished my first, ever, week long RESIDENCY

 for an entire school district!

My week of visiting all nine elementary buildings for a district, 

took place in Texas. 

You've always heard the rumor about life being BIG in TX? 

I'm here to report that there is validity to that claim!

Take a quick peak over my shoulder and see for yourself.  

Post-it Notes as Geometric Shapes + Fine Motor Work = Awesome ARTS Awareness

These first images are from my fifth and final day.

It was quite a week!!! 

I kicked off the week by giving a day-long

 staff development training on the Arts. 

We sang. We danced. We jumped. We laughed. We signed. We learned. 

Each teacher in attendance received a copy of my first picture book, 

"You're Wonderful." 

Quilts of Fabric become Traditional Picture Book Illustrations! "You're Wonderful" by Debbie Clement 

Quite an exuberant way to begin!

Then Tuesday through Friday I visited each of the nine buildings, 

making a total of 17 Author-Illustrator presentations 

to the youngest students in each building: 

the preschoolers! 

2. I LUV LUV LUV what I get to do for a 'living.' 

Children are so VERY capable of learning! 

That learning is designed and directed by a brilliant teacher.

Extending a picture book's style through a collaborative ARTS project builds bridges and makes connections between the disciplines!

This is what I call an Arts Integration Project! 

3. Teachers inspire each other! 

The pictures above are two different teachers in the same building, piggy-backing from each other's approach. Each are using Post-it notes as the 'fabric' for examining the possibilities of geometric shapes. 

Who is the mentor and who is being mentored. 

You might be surprised. 

Wait till you see how the third teacher in the same pod

directed her students to respond to my quilted illustrations! 

TA-DA!

I felt like I was playing "Where's Waldo."

Three teachers. Three variations. 

Shapes! Shapes! And MORE SHAPES in Preschool Art Response to "You're Wonderful" by Debbie Clement

4. My photography skills are challenged by massive Art displays. 

There's collaboration within classrooms 

and there's collaboration within a building! 

Look what happens when there are thirteen different approaches from teachers in the same building. 

The colors are vibrant and the approaches are numerous!

Why yes. 

My heart does literally JUMP when I walk into these displays!  

WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE! 

It takes vision and planning and resources and an excel spread sheet to pull off something of this magnitude! 

It takes insight and administrative support. 

It takes a willingness to step outside the box!

I am fortunate to meet passionate ECE educators at national events! 

That's how an Artist RESIDENCY unfolds! 

The next national event on my dance-card is Frogstreet's SPLASH this summer. 

I am so excited. I'm so VERY excited at the opportunity to return!