librarians + educators
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Hello!
I am a former elementary teacher of 31 years and I want to meet you! I offer many presentations and workshops and can mix and match depending on your wishes. My teaching background helps me naturally incorporate my programs into your current curriculum needs. My books focus on subjects such as, friendship, resilience, imagination, bedtime, beach, problem-solving, loss, loneliness, and a variety of math concepts.
Check out the exciting options I have for you!
about me, ann marie
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Growing up in the used-to-be tiny town of Manassas, Virginia, I spent a lot of time outside on my roller skates and bike. Claiming the role of detective, I collected clues a.k.a. random discarded objects, to solve neighborhood mysteries I totally made up. Sometimes I misbehaved but being sent to my room wasn’t all bad. When my punishment was over, I usually came out with my latest story, construction-paper characters, and a portable stage curtain. In fifth grade, I decided to become an author after writing about the death of my dog. It made my teacher tear up. That was proof that words can be powerful.
I graduated from the best college in the world, Virginia Tech. After that, I became an elementary school teacher and taught for 31 years. It was my favorite thing to do and I really miss it. But now I don’t wake up at 5:30 (yawn) and I never have to pack lunch. Plus, I get to write all day, visit schools, and go to the bathroom whenever I want.
Writing makes me feel happy and it gives me a good excuse to buy a bunch of cool pens and journals. When I’m not writing I like to practice yoga, eat Doritos, scuba dive, and travel the world. I live in Virginia with my partner, Scott, in a house he built for us.
professionally speaking...
Ann Marie Stephens is a former award-winning elementary teacher and mentor with over 30 years in the classroom. While teaching, she received several grants for her inventive literacy projects. She’s taught dozens of original writing and education-based workshops. Now she is a full-time picture book author and seasoned presenter for both children and adults. Her books have been featured on lists such as, Fuse #8 and Children’s Book Council, Hot Off the Press. She was once a guest on NPR to talk about poetry in the classroom and was a writer for a community poem featured in Bon Appetite magazine. She was a contributing author for Kwame Alexander’s The Write Thing, and a co-writer for Scholastic’s Trait Crate Plus for third and fifth grade. She is a member of SCBWI and is represented by Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt Agency. She lives in Virginia with her partner Scott, and their yard full of chipmunks and some nosy raccoons.
Other Tidbits
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I’m a scuba diver! I love seeing sharks, octopuses, and squid. My favorite fish is the trunkfish.
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When I was little, I had an imaginary friend named, Eyeball. He was actually a rock who visited me when he wasn’t off traveling the world. The birthmark on my leg was shaped like a map and that’s how I’d find his location.
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Speaking of traveling the world, I love visiting new places! I have been to over 50 countries and islands and I have plans to visit more.
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I do not like mushrooms. Don’t even mention them.
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When I write, I use pen and paper and then transfer my words to the computer.
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Secretly, I’d like to be a surfer.
(Guess it’s not a secret now.)
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I still don’t like mushrooms.
Not even on pizza.
