The Heart of the Matter
Shelby Smith has a teacher in her heart.
She has spent almost 20 years teaching in the public schools, always looking for that "teachable moment" both in and out of school. If the moments are not there, she'll create them.
S
helby has worked with Lakota Native Americans on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. She has taught children who could speak no English. The children from both the affluent and the indigent all responded readily to Shelby's skill and dedication. Shelby's experience teaching in the Dallas Independent School system provided her with the opportunity to develop and implement her innovative classroom strategies. The at-risk and learning disabled responded well to her creative methods. The gifted and talented became her allies and eagerly served as mentors to those who were struggling. In 1998, Shelby became aware that it was time to leave her teaching position. She realized that it was through story that she would be able to reach and teach most effectively. So she answered her second calling... as a storyteller.
Since that time she has been storytelling at a variety of venues. She was the resident storyteller at the Dallas Museum of Natural History and developed a program called "Science Stories Naturally". Through this program she was able to impart her love of nature by incorporating a combination of original stories and folklore. Shelby joined Tipi Tellers in 1999 and discovered that it was a perfect match, allowing her to tell nature's story in a soothing, intimate setting, the tipi. So now she does both!
Shelby's focus is on developing a love of learning and the environment through nature stories and stories of respect. But she can't leave out multi-cultural tales that foster understanding between all people. Her first love is working in schools as an artist in residence spreading the good word about how well storytelling integrates into any curriculum, but she also tells at schools, retirement homes, festivals and libraries.
To Shelby, stories are gifts that bring laughter, learning and joy to the hearts of those willing to listen.
Qualifications
Click here for a complete list of Shelby's Education, Experiences, and Associations!
What Teachers Say
"Shelby was highly effective in motivating students and helping them focus their own efforts."
-Ms. Skinner,
Fort Worth ISD
"Your visits were the highlight of their year and you were a tremendously positive influence on their self-confidence and also on their enthusiasm for listening to stories and attempting to make up stories of their own. In addition, this carried over into their reading and writing progress and I couldn't have been more thrilled!"
-Ms. Hudson,
Fort Worth Public School