Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Danielle Williams. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Danielle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

I would change the structure of the typical classroom. I’ve worked in private school education and I’ve volunteered in our local public school as well. One thing they both have in common are desks, square desks which sometimes take up more space in the rooms. Some desks have legs that are off balanced or not high enough for the tall students. As a creative, I think it would help to change that.

When I home schooled my son we did have a desk for him; it was made out of a table because he is so tall. We also had a learning carpet and bean bag chair, and a Lego table as well. But best of all was the space in room. So he didn’t have to sit in the same place whenever he did his work. Sometimes my son learned at his desk, sometimes he worked on the carpet, sometimes he sat on the beanbag chair but he was always engaged in the work he was assigned at the time. Overall, he found that he was more comfortable about doing his work for the day.

I have seen some classrooms that have a reading tent for the students or a unique chair for students to sit in. But I think we should see more of this in the classrooms because all students don’t learn the same. Some students need to be in a space that is more engaging for them to learn.

I have not been able to work in a classroom where I was allowed to choose the furniture. Although I have only worked in art education, I have taught in a classroom with big tables that where cemented to the floor. The table provided much storage, but little space for moving around or working on big projects. It was also difficult to navigate around the room and monitor my students while they worked.

Therefore, I think creating flexible classroom spaces will help prepare students for their futures because they’ll be in learning environments they want to learn in. Whenever a student engages in a lesson in earnest retention increases. This may allow a pupil to identify the subjects which interest him/her most, which will payoff in the future when he/she picks a career.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Well… I am an art major; my undergrad degree is in Animation. However, I’ve made a career in teaching Art Education. I started teaching shortly after my graduation in 2006. I was an art teacher for several schools, to include Paige Academy in Boston, MA. I’ve taught for the Kansas City Art Institute in K.C Missouri, and Maranatha Christian Academy in Shawnee, KS. I taught art education over a period of 17 years now, and while at Maranatha, I also completed a Master’s In Teaching and Learning. The program was a research based learning program, and I enjoyed it. I discovered ways to teach art history. more creatively, which increased interest in the classroom.

It had always been a dream of mine to write and illustrate a Children’s Books. So when I had to stop teaching in 2018, to work on my health, I focused on doing just that. The Flying Ketchup Press accepted my book for publication, and I worked on the pictures using cut paper and computer graphics. The book is about a boy who uses his imagination, on a rainy day, and explores color by going to different places on a train. It’s written and illustrated to engage high sensory learners. It’s called “Hitch A Ride On The Color Express,” and while it was in publication, I had the opportunity to illustrate a different book called “Apple The Cat.” The book was collaborative project through a story program with the Reconciliation Services. It’s a story about a grumpy cat that has to adjust to a new life on a farm after a house fire, and it was also published through the Flying Ketchup Press.

Now I have my own business, Butterfield’s Books L.L.C. I am proud of this accomplishment as it’s a small business that helps independent authors and Small Press publish wholesome books and Children’s Books. Currently, I am illustrating a Children’s Book with an artist friend of mine, Vinicius Fontes in Brazil. We are collaborating on the first book by Early Education Specialist, Nicole Y. Jones. This book is the first of a series of unique social studies books.

You can see my gallery, and images from Hitch A Ride on The Color Express on my website butterfieldsbooks.com. There you can read more about me and business, which I named after my late orange tabby Butterfields. You can also contact me for a book reading through my site as well.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I mentioned earlier that I had to stop teaching art in 2018 to work on my health. The reason is because I had been battling metastatic breast disease since 2014, I took time off to complete therapy, then went back to teaching in the spring of 2015. Afterwards, I pursued a Masters in Teaching in Learning and graduated in 2017. I taught another school year, however the cancer returned in 2017, so I completed the school year and stopped to work on my health.

While going through treatments along with taking holistic approaches, I also decided to pursue my dream, which was to complete my first Children’s Book about color. My prognosis wasn’t great however, I was expected to live no more than three years. But, my thinking was that may be, but not before I finish this book. LOL!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I love teaching our young people. My goal is to incorporate visual, imaginative, and creative activity to make lessons more engaging. I also aim to consider the learners who march to a different beat as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.butterfieldsbooks.com
• Instagram: danielled.williams
• Facebook: Danielle D. Williams
• Linkedin: danielle-williams-2900b318
• Twitter: @DanielleDWilli1

Image Credits
Photographs of myself reading Apple The Cat to students at Paige Academy Boston MA Illustrations from Apple The Cat One original illustration from Hitch A Ride On the Color Express