Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Burrell.
Erica, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am from Potrero Hill projects in San Francisco, CA. My mother, as beautiful as she is struggled to raise 3 children alone and ultimately, I left her care as a teenager and began my independence earlier than most. Through the constant unknowns and lack of stability there was one thing that remained consistent in my life… children’s books.
I loved the magical stories, the colorful pictures and the places I could only imagine. Whether my day was good or bad I learned young that a book could make it even better.
However, as I grew older, and became a teacher responsible for shaping young minds I realized all these childhood books I loved didn’t seem to love me. I was nowhere in them. People who looked like me were never the main character, they were never the superhero and, in the books, I loved so much they never boosted my confidence because they perpetuated stereotypes that only certain types of people could accomplish certain things.
Frustrated with my realization, in addition to being a parent educator and special education teacher I also became an author. I started writing the stories I wanted my students to see and learned to illustrate so that I could bring those stories to life because everyone deserves to be seen.
Lastly, When it comes to anything student, parent, or teacher-related I am an excellent resource. For more than a decade I have supported tons of students and guardians through my teachings on respectful parenting. I am dedicated to enriching the lives of children by way of individualized education plans, parent coaching, and leading professional developments for other educators. My experience is specific to children with behavioral challenges and reading delays. Since publishing my books, I have found both parents and students to be more interested in literature and I couldn’t be happier with my results.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Honestly, my biggest challenge was believing some of the things that were said about me. Teachers who hated me for no apparent reasons, television shows that perpetuated negative stereotypes, books that showed me I was limited in what people who looked like me could do. Once I removed the limitations that had been set for me I was able to accomplish every goal I set for myself.
I am now happily married with a child, I have multiple degrees and my literacy and education businesses are thriving. Life is hard, today I choose the hard that will ultimately make life easier for others down the line.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Teacher Lady. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Teacher Lady is my brand. It embodies everything book joy for young readers, everything colorful and everything educational. My books are like no other. The stories represent the voices of my student population, the glossaries teach students things they may have never heard of and the characters will keep you engaged at the turn of every page. These books show what happens when a Black woman in education writes about her students’ realities. It’s what happens when a person is so frustrated with the current narrative in children’s literature they change it themselves. Lastly, these books are everything children should know about the world and how life works. I have books about money, self-love, Black history, the environment and more – every word, image and color are intentional and I will continue to share book joy because every student deserves a book created with them in mind.
Additionally, The students I write about often come from backgrounds who cannot always afford a book. I started my pay it forward program as a way to bridge this gap. People can purchase my books to be donated to a child from a low socioeconomic background and educators can sign up to receive books free of charge. To donate visit www.EricaMBurrell.com/donate
Samples of my work
https://www.tiktok.com/@_theteacherlady/video/7062534927220297007?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en
Contact Info:
- Email: Hello@EricaMBurrell.com
- Website: www.EricaMBurrell.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/EricaMBurrell
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EricaMBurrell
