author visits

Are You a Bucket Filler?

Posted by Barbara Techel

I am thrilled to be taking part in a program with Brooklyn Elementary School based on the Bucket Fillers 101 concept created by a group of very creative teachers.

This year, the focus of the PAWS program (positive attitude + work + success) created by Brooklyn Elementary is making Brooklyn Elementary a bucket filling school!  From what I understand they have hundreds of buckets lined up in their Grand Hall as part of this concept.


Bucket Fillers, Inc mission is:

• To create safer, kinder, more respectful school cultures where children are ready to learn

• To create communities where all children grow up confident, resilient, caring, and responsible

• To strengthen, encourage, and support families to become bucketfilling families

• To create positive, supportive workplaces

• To make bucket filling a habit and a way of life, resulting in individuals with full buckets who are healthy mentally, emotionally, and socially.

This is the first year they are bringing in an author (me!) and a rolling dog (Frankie!) as part of their program!  36-year devoted 3rd grade teacher, Joyce Gilmour reviewed my newest book about Frankie being a therapy dog and yes, you guessed it, a bucket filler!  So it fit right in with their program.  A dog teaching bucket filling is bound to drive the message home in the most beautiful way!

So for our first visit Frankie and I met the children via Skype and I read them our first book.  We will meet again in January where I will read Frankie’s newest book about her volunteer visits to Libby’s House- a Senior Assisted Living Facility.

Frankie and I getting ready for our 1st Skype visit reading with Brooklyn Elementary

 

Then in May we will visit in person (and dog!), and what a day it will be!!

As I continue to prepare for the day we will all meet I came across this little essay about bucket filling:

We all have an invisible bucket.

And that is a great way to picture our feelings.

When our bucket is full we are having positive feelings…joyful, happy… and grateful.

When our buckets are empty we might be sad or angry… or any of these negative feelings.

We can choose to be a bucket filler or a bucket dipper. A bucket filler helps make other people feel good by the things we do and say; A bucket dipper does just the opposite.

The best way to keep our bucket full is to fill other people’s buckets… We are in charge of our buckets all the time.

~Stacey Lundgren

Are you a bucket filler?

If you are elementary teacher interested in having us visit via Skype for a reading or presentation or interested in having us visit in person, please visit our teacher page on our website for more information.

Check out our free ebook on planning an in-person visit or our free ebook on planning a Skype visit.

 

Author Visit Via Skype or In-Person with Barbara Techel & Special Dog Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog

Posted by Barbara Techel

Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog will uplift and inspire your students, teachers!


Frankie will instill in your students how to make positive choices, deal with adversity, give back to their community despite challenges and help them see differences in a positive way.

During our visit whether in person or via Skype Frankie will share her journey of how she could walk like a regular dog for the first six years of her life, how she became injured, was custom-fitted for a doggie wheelchair and persevered.  Not once did Frankie feel sorry for herself and she will inspire your students to be the best and to never give up, no matter what.

Our typical half hour program includes:

  • Introduction of Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog
  • Frankie’s story via Power Point
  • Video (if via Skype) of Frankie rolling in her wheels, or demo in person
  • Demo of how Frankie gets in and out of her doggie wheelchair with student participation
  • Demo of physical therapy Frankie had with student participation
  • Selected reading
  • Q & A

Contact author, Barbara Techel and Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog for available dates and fees.  For more information on our in-person visits, as well as Skype visits please visit our website and click on author visits tab.

There you will find a free down loadable ebook to help plan your visit whether via Skype or in-person.

We look forward to meeting you and your students soon!

Special note:  If your school does not use Skype we are open to other types of video conferencing so don’t hesitate to contact us.

Teacher Testimonials for Skype Visits with Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog

Posted by Barbara Techel

Frankie and I are having so much fun visiting classrooms via the technology of Skype.  Some schools have their own video conferencing and that has worked out just as well.  If you are thinking about bringing us into your school with the help of the Internet, please check out what these teachers had to say about the experience.  For more information visit our special teacher section on our website.  We would love to meet you and your students!

Students at my school in Canada used Skype to connect via the Internet with Barbara and Frankie who live in Wisconsin. The students were so excited and amazed at the experience. It seemed as if Frankie and Barbara were sitting right in their classroom!

The students were able to interact with Frankie and Barbara. They asked many thought provoking questions. They learned a lot about animals with disabilities and how to stay positive no matter what challenges they might face. The Skype has been their favorite part of the school year! ~Karen Keys, Teacher Librarian Canada

I was apprehensive about the vist, but it was tremendous. I wondered if 500+ children would be able to attend to the screen and realize they were having a conversation with an author. You did it! They stayed on task for the entire visit. The variety of activity–your talking, the Powerpoint, the video and Frankie’s presence all worked together to keep them engaged. Thank you– you made me look good! ~Kathy Howell, library media specialist, Clarksville Primary School, Arkansas

The students had such a great time during their webcam visit with Mrs. Techel and Frankie. They were even more inspiring in person. Mrs. Techel had Frankie right there with her during our web cam visit. Frankie even fell asleep on her desk. She showed the class how Frankie got in and out of her wheelchair, explained how she cared for Frankie, gave us a first hand view of her writing studio, and explained the writing process from the gathering of ideas, to the editing, and the publishing stages. ~Karen Elz, 3rd grade elementary teacher, Shiloh Point Elementary School, Georgia

Through the magic of technology we were able to host Barb & Frankie for an in-class(ish) presentation via Skype. Barb was able to take the kids through the notion of overcoming challenges, making a difference in the lives of others, and facing hardship in a positive, life-changing way. They were CAPTIVATED which is a pretty big deal for six-year-olds. ~Ben Bordeau, Who’s Your Dachshund blogger and Jason Wade, 1st grade teacher, Bicentennial School, Canada

Our visit with you and Frankie was fabulous! The children couldn’t stop talking about it. Not only did you make Frankie’s story come alive for these students, you were able to make writing more real. Not one of these students have ever met an author, much less had a visit with one. I believe they received your message and also came away with a better understanding of what writing really is. ~Susan Ownens, special education teacher, Cheatham Park Elementary, Springfield, TN