Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamika Mitchell-Wilcher.
Tamika, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a teacher that teaches first grade in Mitchell County Primary School in Camilla, GA. I have been in the education field for 17 years. As an educator, I have been able to work with all children. Some of those children have a disability that makes them extra special and lovable. They would become sad because bullies were constantly making fun of them and calling them ugly names. I knew that I had to find a way that I could reach more students to let them know that we are all special and we are who we are supposed to be. I would talk to the oppressors and let them know that we all are special in our own special way. They then began to realize that we are all created the same and should be treated as such. This, in turn, created great friendships and bodyguards for the little “uniques.”
I began to actually write “Smart and Beautiful Me” in 2018. It took me at least two weeks to get the story typed up. Now it was time to find an illustrator, I searched for two years to find the right company for my story. In October 2020 I found my illustrator/editor/publisher, Ashley Dowell of Dowell House Publishing and my story and vision was brought to life right before my eyes. My book was released on March 22, 2021.
Smart and Beautiful Me is about Unique, a little girl born with Down Syndrome. Unique finds transitioning to school very difficult with overstimulation and bullies. She is rescued by Teacher T, who teaches her a positive mantra to help her see how Smart, Beautiful, and Unique she really is.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The only obstacle that I faced was trying to find the right publishing company for my story. I knew that I wanted all of my illustrations for my book to stand out and in order to do that, I felt they needed to be hand-drawn and not just some random clip arts that were stored in a picture gallery.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have been in education for 17 years. I am currently a first-grade teacher. I specialize in subject areas such as language arts, math, social studies, and science. I was named teacher of the year in 2018-2019. The thing that I am most proud of is I can wake up everyday and come to work and shape the little minds of our future. Being an educator brings me life. In my opinion, what sets me apart from others is I am able to connect my lessons with a song or dance in order for the students to retain the information that is being given to them. I have clear objectives and I always set the goal. I have a job to teach the standards and we are going to have fun while doing so.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
My goal is to bring more children books about different disabilities. I think it is very important for any child to be able to see themselves in books. This will boost the confidence in those children. I want to be able to reach at least one child in every state.
Pricing:
- 14.99
Contact Info:
- Email: tamikawilcher@yahoo.com
- Website: https://dowellhousepublishing.com/tamika-wilcher/
- Instagram: @educatedauthor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamika.wilcher
Image Credits
Overstreet Media Services
