Isbell has years of diverse experiences in the field of early childhood including: teacher of young children (2-8), director of a lab school, music teacher (k-5), coordinator of gifted/talented, early childhood program chair, supervisor of early childhood student teachers, Professor, and program developer of BA, MA, MS, and PhD in Early Childhood Education. These experiences have provided her with many incredible stories that demonstrate the amazing capabilities of young children and the dedicated people who work with them. She is an editorial consultant for NAEYC and is on the governing board for ACEI. In addition, she has worked extensively with supervisors, directors, and teachers helping them make changes in their classrooms and programs to insure that both children and teachers have the best environments in which to develop. 

She has also presented Keynotes and Featured Sessions throughout the United States from Alaska to New York, to Texas and California and spoken at international meetings in Denmark, Singapore, China, and Canada.

 Isbell’s energetic presentations are filled with current research, practical ideas, “real” visuals of classrooms, humorous stories, and many opportunities to celebrate the joys of working with creative young children. She invites the audience to be active participants during the sessions engaging them in gestures, music, repeated phrases, and frequent laughter. Those in attendance leave her Keynotes inspired and ready to meet the challenges of working with creative young children!