Mrs. Danielle Sultan, Staff Development Teacher
Sargent Shriver Elementary School, Silver Spring, Maryland

Lenore Blank Kelner is one of the most experienced arts educators I know. She has been leading drama workshops for educators for many years, works directly with students in classrooms, and has written books that have proved to be invaluable resources for teachers. Teachers tell us her work makes a difference in their ability to reach the students in their classrooms.

Barbara Shepherd, Director
Partners in Education, Education Department, Kennedy Center

I have been teaching for 20 years. This was the best staff development workshop I have been to. Engaging! Practical! Perfect for ELL and all my students. Thank you.

Teacher
Farmland Elementary, Montgomery Co. MD


The three hours flew by. I could use a part two- I got so many great ideas.

ESL Teacher
Green Bay, WI


The presentation was excellent and very relevant for helping our student achieve the
Standards of Learning.

Teacher
Crossfield Elementary, Herndon, VA


My teachers were absolutely right-you are the best! What fun it was to have you with us to kick off our very first Early Childhood Educator's Workshop Series! People left enthused, and encouraged to expand their repertoire of interactive group play with the children so that they all will be ready for their transition to kindergarten.

Director
Fairfax United Methodist Church Preschool


Please accept our thanks for the wonderful professional development you provided to Baltimore County’s kindergarten and prekindergarten teachers. The strategies you provided are applicable to all learners and will enhance their expressive and receptive language, as well as comprehension of text. In addition, you modeled many engaging and motivating techniques that teachers can use during instruction. The accompanying handout will be an very valuable resource.

Thanks again for augmenting our professional development opportunities. Just FYI the evaluations were terrific and the teachers really enjoyed your session.

Sharon Hoffman, Early Childhood Supervisor
Baltimore County Public Schools


I took back your strategies from our course, Bringing Literature to Life to my students. My students can really do this! Acting out the scene helped them understand the story and improved… retelling. ELL students heard other students model rich vocabulary. I heard new vocabulary from my ELL students! The kids had to come up with their own inferences…My ELL students responded with gusto.

Third Grade Teacher
Santa Rosa, California


I have been using the strategies from the course and your books with my students. Drama has been a great way to teach my students to infer. Students were able to… create a real connection with the characters … by creating dialogue and putting themselves in the characters shoes. …it has made my students more interested in the book, but they have also begun asking more questions as well.

Fifth Grade Teacher
Mosby Woods Elementary, Fairfax VA

This is how one of our veteran teachers described Lenore’s process during our 2001-02
research project:

“Lenore Kelner had a week residency at our school. She demonstrated with our kids on day one, then we debriefed. She slowly involved us in taking over portions of each day/debriefing/planning. On the final day (day five), we flew solo with input to follow.”

This model and Lenore’s patience and loving concern for each teacher proved to be extremely successful. I attribute much of the success of Maui teachers using drama in the classrooms to Lenore Blank Kelner.

Susana Browne, Education Director
Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Maui, Hawaii

Consulting

Lenore Blank Kelner’s commitment to establishing environments and opportunities that support teacher growth and development and her own growth as a professional is legendary. Over the years Lenore has served on regional panels and boards and has contributed to the state’s curriculum and assessment development efforts. Her achievements and contributions …make a difference in the lives of …teachers and children.

James L Tucker, Jr., Coordinator of Fine Arts
Maryland State Department of Education

Lenore Blank Kelner is a principal mover and shaker for the Maryland Artist and Teacher Institute funded by the Maryland State Department of Education. She is a nationally known resource for curriculum transformation. …She is a true star.

Ray H. Zeigler, Director
Maryland Artist Teacher Institute
Maryland State Department of Education

Without the excellent, in-depth work in arts integration that Lenore did at our pilot school, Wilson Elementary School, in Oklahoma City, we would not have enjoyed the quick and lasting improvements that took place in the school. Teachers taught students and students learned from the newly learned arts integration concepts. I was brought up to believe that if the teacher didn't teach, then the learner didn't learn. I can truly say these students learned and they keep on learning and learning and learning.

Executive Director
Black Liberated Arts Center, Inc., Oklahoma City

Keynote Addresses

As I am preparing for this year's conference and [searching for a new keynote presenter]
I wanted to let you know again how much we appreciated your keynote last year. EXCELLENT!!!

Brooks Eldredge-Martin, Executive Director
Bradford County Regional Arts Council, Towanda, Pa.


I cannot adequately express our gratitude for your keynote presentation for our annual conference for Broward County’s Literacy Through the Arts: A Closer Look.

The comments we got are all extremely positive. It is the first time that on the evaluations the participants requested the same keynote speaker for next year. Thank you for bringing your unique gifts to Broward County’s teachers and teaching artists! We will be in touch.

Patricia Zeiler, Arts Education Assistant
Broward Cultural Division, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Demonstration Lessons/Residencies for Students

Your workshop at Ft Hunt yesterday really put a lot of the pieces together for me. Thank you for helping us put more joy into the classroom. I just finished my masters degree program where I researched why some teachers always had good classes. I learned that some teachers are community builders. They have respect for their students and for their own developing gifts as educators. They are leaders, not just task managers. It sometimes takes a long time, but eventually they win the affection and the graciousness of their students. I was amazed to see you do it in one hour. I hope I can do that some day.

Peggy (Margaret) Rukenbrod
Fort Hunt Elementary School, Alexandria, VA


Thank you for the wonderful professional development residency at Desert Harbor Elementary School last week. You were a delight, full of great insight and I hope to work with you again in the near future to extend and deepen the work you brought to us.

Laurie Little, Principal
Desert Harbor Elementary, Peoria, AZ 85382


What is most surprising is some of the deepest inferences came from the special needs students!

Third Grade Teacher
Desert Harbor Elementary, Peoria, AZ 85382

Summer Institutes

Lenore Blank Kelner has hosted two workshops for the ArtStart program, a three–day Teaching Artist Training and a four-day workshop for… teachers. Both workshops have been outstanding! She has a clear, concise and structured approach to arts integration that breaks down the process into easily understood chunks and then demonstrates each concept with clear, experiential examples drawn from actual classrooms. Her understanding of both the world of the teaching artist as well as the classroom teacher comes through… in her unique, active and engaging delivery style.

Christie Kahil, ArtStart Coordinator
Arts and Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC

After all I learned I am ready to start the Creative Drama experience this year with my students. My tambourine is ready.  I'd been looking for an excuse to get one of those all my life and now I have one.  As it turns out, all my classes are Intensive Readers combined with English 1.  It will be a challenging year so I am hoping that the concentration and focus activities work well for me.  Anyway, thank you again for the course and I hope to see you again next summer for the intermediate level.  

LuAnn Frimmel, Reading Teacher
Sarasota, Florida

Professional Development for Teacher Artists

I was so impressed and pleased by the specific comments and questions by the teaching artists as a result of the training you led. They demonstrated deep comprehension of the material you presented. I was amazed that even with a variety of levels… even the advanced teaching artists walked away with new information and skills under their belts. You did an excellent job of reading all attendants. It was really great working with you! I look forward to working with you again.

Marcia Pasqua
Hawaii Arts Alliance, Oahu, Hawaii


Her focus on collaboration and [scaffolding of knowledge and skills] gave our teaching artists a sense of empowerment and inspired real confidence in their ability to co-teach a quality residency with a classroom teacher.

Christie Kahil, ArtStart Coordinator
Arts and Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC

Creative Kids

I knew my youngest daughter would like this program and I was right, but I was surprised how much my older son loved it. He tried it for one week and begged me to sign him up. They both loved your choice of books, the parts they played, and their teacher. We will see you in the fall.

Parent
Dufief Elementary, Montgomery County MD


My child loves Creative Kids so much he refused to go to his dentist appointment which we accidentally scheduled on the day of class. By the way, he loved playing the peddler in “Caps For Sale.” We have acted it out at home at least 100 times.

Parent
A Child's Place at Hollin Hall, Alexandria, VA


Do you give Family discounts? We put one of our kids in Creative kids, and now all three
want to go!

Parent
Stonegate Elementary, Silver Spring, MD


My kid lives for Wednesdays. Every morning he wakes up and asks if today is Creative Kids.
It is a great program.

Parent
Bethesda Country Day School, Bethesda, MD


Please send me the list of books you are using for the Creative Kids program. My son wants to read them all. You really have gotten him turned on to books.

Parent
Henson Valley Montessori, Mitchellville, MD

Cook With Books

As the students come into class they are always trying to get in my bag to see what we will be creating this week. They can’t wait to get started.

Cook With Books Teacher
Silver Spring, MD


Ben loved the pop-up book. We are having fun making them at home. What a simple and creative idea to get kids to write!

Parent
Herndon, VA