Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shannon Anderson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shannon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
I wrote in my senior year diary that someday I wanted to be a teacher and a children’s book author. I finished college and started working as a first-grade teacher after graduating. I LOVED it! One of my favorite things to teach in my classroom was writing. We had a special author chair, wrote lots of stories, and I even ran an after-school poetry club.
I dabbled in my own writing here and there, getting published in magazines and anthologies like Chicken Soup for the Soul. It wasn’t until I heard about a creativity grant that I really got serious about my goal to become a children’s book author.
This grant was specifically for teachers and allowed educators to pursue a passion project to renew and refresh their lives.
After an extensive application process, I got the fellowship. I used the funds to go to writing conferences and classes. I purchased my first laptop computer and set to work. After a couple of years of writing in the evenings and weekends, I was able to finally get a book published. I was hooked. Several more manuscripts were accepted and made into books. I started getting asked to do author visits.
Since I was still teaching, it was difficult to find time to do author visits. I had to plan them on my fall and spring breaks. Eventually, after 25 years of teaching, I made the difficult decision to leave teaching to write and speak full time. This was not an easy decision. I still loved teaching, had two daughters heading to college ($$$), and had no idea how to go into business for myself.
I finally took the leap of faith and turned in my resignation. A few months later, the global pandemic hit. All of my events for my first year out of the classroom were canceled. I was terrified.
Thankfully, many conferences started to go virtual and I got some speaking engagements back on my calendar. I also had a lot of time to write that year. Once schools started opening up again the next year, I knew everything was going to be ok. Now, I have so many speaking engagements, I have to turn some away. I have been blessed with many opportunities since that day I left teaching. I was also able to pass the teaching torch and all of my classroom belongings to my daughter, who now teaches first grade.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I taught for 25 years, from first grade through college level. I’m also an children’s book author of over 20 traditionally published picture books and chapter books. I love doing author visits all over the country in schools and libraries. I’ve spoken at almost 400 events and am still counting! It is a joy to inspire kids to see the power of reading and writing.
Most of my picture books are based on social and emotional learning topics such as growth mindset, kindness, perfectionism, underachievement, shyness, and belonging. I love sharing ways kids learn new things with their amazing brains and how they can spread smiles with acts of kindness.
I’m also a TEDx speaker and enjoy motivational speaking for teens, entrepreneurs, and women’s groups. I frequently keynote and do breakouts for educational conferences as well.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
My favorite part of writing and speaking for kids is having kids say that they are now excited to write a story or read a story. Knowing that you brought some level of joy or interest fills your heart.
I also love it when a child or adult realizes their potential when you give them a little nudge and reminder of how capable and amazing they are. We all need each other to grow. Sometimes you get to plant a few seeds or help water them.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I knew before I started submitting manuscripts for publication that even Dr. Seuss had 27 rejections before getting his first book published. It still isn’t easy to get those “No thank-you” emails.
One of the first stories I ever wrote won a writing contest at the first writing conference I ever attended. Yet, it took ten years to get a publisher to finally say yes. There were times it sat in a drawer, but I definitely sent it out at least 27 times!
What I tell kids at my author visits is that I’m glad I didn’t give up because that book, I LOVE Strawberries! ended up winning more awards than any of my other 20 books combined. It won a national book of the year award, the Good Housekeeping top-rated picture book award, and was even read by actor, Ryan Reynolds, on his TV show, Bedtime Stories with Ryan.
You never know what could happen if you keep making improvements and believe in yourself and your work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shannonisteaching.com
- Instagram: @shannonisteaching
- Facebook: authorshannonanderson
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonisteaching/
- Twitter: @shannonteaches
Image Credits
My headshot is by Samantha Mitchell.