Okay, how to begin crate training? Tips?
The main thing is you don't want to rush it, which really most bird-people will be used to not doing anyway.
Try to keep every experience as positive as possible, even if it means the first experiences are her darting in to grab a favorite treat or toy. Once she is more comfortable with the crate, not fearful of going into it if she is now, you can try closing it for very short periods of time with praise and a favorite treat. When I started out I used little flavored chews that took a couple minutes to finish, to keep their minds of being off the closed door. Gradually lengthen the amount of crate time (or even give a larger chewy with the length of time.) It seems like it's fairly natural for them to want to sleep or seek security in an enclosed area and many dogs just get the idea on their own after enough time in the crate and a bed in there.
Try to associate a phrase with the crate, for my guys it was always "go to your crate," which they would, happily, and wait for their treat before settling down.
I'm sure more experienced people can give better advice (I only use crates for travel/emergencies these days, my guys prefer to stretch out out night and it was really hard to find crates big enough, let alone space for the crates in my house!)
One last idea for people greeting her at work is to also have a little bowl nearby with treats and a sticky note that strongly implies they should give them to her before or instead of petting him. Visitors aren't as scary when they provide food, especially if they give her a treat and then don't pressure her, just leave.
Edit:
Izzy will not let me out of her sight, she is always at my feet. I can count on my one hand the number of times she has chosen to go somewhere that she can't see me from. I am wondering where the crate would fit into that equation?
I would start crate training with the crate somewhere they she can easily see you from. Once she is comfortable with it, you can try leaving the room while she is in it for short periods of time.
With Bear, this meant the crate was in the living room and him only in the crate while I there too. At night I would carry the unwieldy thing to the bedroom where he slept. Once he seemed to prefer resting in the crate, I just left it in the bedroom and he would choose to leave me to go to his crate on his own.
Then he outgrew the crate, and because he was longer bodied and longer legged than any house-type crate I could find locally, only has his travel crate. (which he doesn't like to sleep in.)