I know, it's true!
Last year, I was asked to teach a high school art class. Never in a million years would I have thought, ‘Oh, I think I can go teach high school art, I’m going to go apply’. I mean, teaching is it's own art form, you know? But since it was still my year of saying yes, and it seemed like a rare and incredibly cool opportunity, of course I said YES.
On January 7. 2024, I walked into Bishop Kelley High School to teach my very first art class. I was terrified. But I had a key fob and a classroom so I was in it! My class is called 'Basic Design' and every quarter, it’s 24 (mostly) freshman students. What a trip!
I have learned so much from this experience, including ALL of the names of each of these students! There is something magical about helping a student realize that they are an artists! But more than that, I've learned to see through what costumes they think they need to wear to fit in, and to show them I see them. I mean, there are moments when I connect with a student and I know they feel seen as they are and I am moved by the connection. I think that was my biggest job here, or at least the most important one.
My own art practice is calling and I won’t be returning next fall, but this experience has been absolutely enriching and I am a better person because of it.
Comments