In this inspiring episode of The Schoolyard Podcast, host Nancy Chung spoke with Shannon Olsen, a beloved children’s book author and former second-grade teacher. Shannon shared her journey from teaching to becoming a full-time author, highlighting her passion for creating educational resources and children’s books that foster a sense of family and collaboration in the classroom.
Shannon discussed her popular books, including her best-selling Our Class is a Family and her latest, Collaboration Station, which she wrote during the challenging times of distance learning. These books reinforce the importance of community and teamwork among students while transitioning back to in-person learning.
You’ll hear insights from Shannon on how her personal experiences and challenges as a teacher inspired her books. She shares touching stories about how her role as an author has positively impacted her own children and students across the country.
For aspiring authors, Shannon also offers practical advice on how to get started with writing and publishing their own books.
Tag, You’re It!
The episode wrapped up with our regular segment called “Tag Your It,” where Shannon and Nancy chose the book characters they’d like to be for a day. Listen in to hear their answers!
For more educational resources and to learn about Shannon’s author visits and publishing consultations, visit her website at www.lifebetweensummers.com.
To shop her best-selling books, visit her website at https://lifebetweensummers.com/shop/.
To view her TPT page, visit https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Life-Between-Summers.
Join us next time on The Schoolyard Podcast, where we continue to explore the magic of learning and the impactful stories of educators.
Shannon Olsen
Shannon Olsen creates resources for elementary school teachers, including picture books. She is the author of #1 best-selling books, including Our Class is a Family and both books in the series A Letter From Your Teacher. The themes are focused on building class community and positive relationships in the classroom.
Several of her books have reached the Amazon Top 20 Charts for all books sold. Her first book, Our Class is a Family, earned the #1 spot on Publisher’s Weekly for Top Children’s Picture Books. In August 2020, Amazon selected the book cover to be featured on their 83-foot billboard in front of Penn Station in New York City.
Prior to becoming an author, Shannon earned her BA in English and MA in Teaching from the University of California Irvine. With fifteen years of classroom experience as a second-grade teacher, she creates and sells downloadable resources for elementary teachers through Life Between Summers LLC. Her educational resources are available through the Teachers Pay Teachers website and her online shop at lifebetweensummers.com.
