What is the best thing about being an art teacher?
For many students, the art class that they take in high school might be the only art class they take for the rest of their lives. Really. We have this one chance to inspire them and open their eyes and minds to something special. It's a thrilling responsibility. I love it. If you could buy one piece of art, what would you get?
Some of Richard Serra's metal sculptures feel precarious and almost dangerous, like they could fall and crush you at any moment. One sculpture is just a large, 3 inch thick slab of steel wedged into the corner of a plain room. It probably weighs several tons, and it is just leaning against a flimsy wall, waiting for someone to accidentally bump into it and get pulverized, but you trust it for some reason, and that conflicted feeling is what makes Serra’s sculpture so amazing. I would love to have a Richard Serra sculpture. If school was closed for a week, how would you spend your time?
I used to leave school and drive from Washingtonville to McCarren Park in Brooklyn every Monday to play Ultimate Frisbee from 6 till 10pm. I would not get home until midnight or later. On Tuesdays I would be physically wrecked. My muscles ached, it hurt to walk, and my students would make fun of me. I loved it. If I was off for a week, and I had no life responsibilities, I would hunt down as many Ultimate games as I could and get in as much playing time as possible, even if those games were in LA.
What is the best thing about being an art teacher?
The best part of being an art teacher is the opportunity to develop creative curricula for my classes and then see how the students take my project concepts and run with it. I love to develop project units, as the research and development process is creative in and of itself, but the best part is witnessing how my students interpret the project units through their own personal expression and creativity. If you could buy one piece of art, what would you get?
My house is too small for displaying large works of art! I rather give my money to a non-profit arts organization that provides creative opportunities for marginalized communities. If school was closed for a week, how would you spend your time?
I would love to spend more time on my own watercolor paintings. I would take more than my usual 2 yoga classes per week and definitely use the time to get caught up on personal projects related to my family and home. Oh and sleep! I love to sleep! I also love to travel and if time and money allowed I’d love to take my son to Central or South America.
What is the best thing about being an art teacher?
The days I enjoy the most are when there is an infectious buzz of energy in my classroom with students brainstorming, sharing new ideas, and everyone working together to create eye-catching and professional graphic design pieces. I love to base our projects off of ones students might encounter in the “real-world” as a graphic designer. I am always striving to share my passion for graphic design with students by creating opportunities for them to think and create like designers. I love to help students develop digital skills they can use in many future facets of their life, and maybe even help them discover a new, infectious passion for graphic design as I have! If you could buy one piece of art, what would you get?
I have always been drawn to the work of Shepard Fairey because of the vibrant color schemes, and complex layering of illustrations and images he uses in his work. Fairey's artwork allows you to imagine his creative process, and see his combinations of mediums, while at the same time, leaving enough mystery that makes you yearning to know more. His work typically incorporates his complex and vibrant views about the world and I see this represented in his artwork by the similarly complex and vibrant visuals. If school was closed for a week, how would you spend your time?
I recently caught the travel bug and there are so many parts of the world I am dying to see! If school was closed for a week, you'll definitely find me hopping on a plane to explore a new part of the world I've never been to. Right now, the top trip on my bucket list would be to explore and hike all the beautiful landscapes out west like Zion National Park, Glacier National Park, and the one I am looking forward to the most, Banff National Park in Canada.
What is the best thing about being an art teacher?
The best thing about being an art teacher is staying young and getting to create art for a living! I truly feel like being a teacher keeps me active, gives me a fresh mind and keeps me up to date on pop culture. When I retire it will be a full time job to stay up to date on pop culture. When they say teenagers think they "know it all," well, they kinda do... just saying bruh. If you could buy one piece of art, what would you get?
I love custom made jewelry. So if I could buy any piece of art it would likely be a piece of jewelry made by hand. If school was closed for a week, how would you spend your time?
If school was closed for a week and I had a little advanced notice I would book a vacation and travel to Greece. I love to travel, experience new places and cultures. Greece has been on my list since my summer trip was canceled in 2020.
What is the best thing about being an art teacher?
The best thing about being an art teacher is when I see a student make something they're truly proud of. If you could buy one piece of art, what would you get?
I'm a big fan of art that's useful AND beautiful, (and I love coffee) so I'd probably buy an Ayumi Horie mug. If school was closed for a week, how would you spend your time?
I'd spend my time hopefully sleeping past 5 am, catching up on some reading, and spending time with my family.
What is the best thing about being an art teacher?
The best part about being an art teacher is I get to work with great kids everyday! Helping them create artwork and experience new materials is fantastic. Growing up, my favorite teachers were always my art teachers! Their classes were always the best and most enjoyable. If you could buy one piece of art, what would you get?
I think it would be really fun having a Claes Oldenburg sculpture on the front lawn of my house. I can only imagine one of his giant sculptures out on my lawn and having people driving by, wondering what it is all about. I’d probably be “that” house in the neighborhood too! If school was closed for a week, how would you spend your time?
If I had a free week to do anything, you would most likely find my family and I somewhere in Disney World on vacation. If not, you might find us at the Bronx Zoo or the NY Botanical Gardens for the day. If we’re not at any of those places, we’ll probably be at Legoland. Somehow we’ll try and find some time to play some Nintendo and most importantly find time for a quick trip to our favorite playgrounds!
What is the best thing about being an art teacher?
There are many things I love about being an Art teacher, however one of the main reasons, I hope to inspire future generations to see that they have a talent! I had NO IDEA myself how much I would LOVE art until I actually had the opportunity at the 8th grade level to be involved in art classes and create. I had this inner creative side that I was not aware of! Then my teacher, Ms. Nagel, inspired me in MANY ways,she was soooo encouraging. So I went for it!!! The rest is history. I strive to give my students an opportunity that I almost lost out on….create, have fun, persevere, never say “ I can’t” and enjoy the ride! Once you get a taste of your success, there's no looking back! We are a great team, me and my students, I inspire them and they inspire me. This is why I love teaching art! If you could buy one piece of art, what would you get?
Oh for sure it would be a painting of Jackson Pollack! The amazing action, layers of paint and the colors he used to create some of these massive pieces of work….I WANT ONE!!! When you look at one your eyes get lost in the movement and action. I can almost imagine him standing over and on top the canvas creating! Don't get in his way! If school was closed for a week, how would you spend your time?
Hmmm…Let’s see…if not chillin with my family and I was solo for the week…I would be out somewhere Beachcombing, collecting seaglass, driftwood shells etc!!!! I CAN spend hours getting lost on the beach searching for cool pieces! I would bounce from beach to beach equipped with my mesh bags and tools and begin the treasure hunt! When I find a piece of glass, I carefully inspect it and dream about where it came from, how old it could possibly be…perhaps a piece of pirate glass or a beautiful aqua piece with a date on it! I love history so it takes me back to different time periods and I wonder how it was to live during that Era. Ahhhhhh the beach…..oh wait….I'm just typing about it….for a second there I was there in my mind hahahaha. Hopefully one day if I ever have time I can do something creative treasures!
