Tell about some exciting things that your class has done this year, or things that you plan to do before the end of the year.
This year my students have engaged in many activities that are multicultural and self-directed. 42 of my art students formed the “IMAGINATION STATION” at Una—we meet every other week in my room to create and share our art and love for it. My fourth graders will be visiting Cheekwood in April. And I plan to take students to see the “EGYPTIAN” exhibit at the Frist Center in August.
Tell about any ongoing professional development or continued education you have been working on this year. (Graduate work, Covey, new certification, etc….)
I completed my masters degree almost two years ago in Education—curriculum and instruction… since then I have been working in variety of professional development committees—I served on the board of the Nashville Institute for Visual Art Education at the Frist Center—our institute is currently re-writing the overall art education curriculum for Metro Schools as well as researching artists work, best practices and assessments. I have also served on the Art Standards committee in which we completed the re-writing of the art performance standards for our district. I am currently illustrating a new children’s book called “The Miracle of Halloween” that will be published soon for an amazing writer. I am also currently conducting research data on the effects of art achievement in public schools as part of a presentation for the board of education. Oh! I just completed a watercolor painting and am working on two pencil portraits of people I don’t even know!
Where did you attend school, what was your major?
MTSU- I was a psychology major, art education major and a painting (fine arts) major. My minors were philosophy and theater.
Do you have a higher degree? How many years do you have? ( Masters, +30, Dr…)
Yes, Masters Degree—curriculum and instruction
What made you decide to teach Art?
I have known since the seventh grade I was going to be an art teacher—I had a magical experience in my seventh grade art class—we were watching a slide show of famous art paintings and I found myself explaining to the class what the paintings were about and what they were trying to express—My art teacher was not happy with me!!! But I began to kind of take over teaching and trying to inspire my peers to make and love art.
What is you favorite color?
It is a very particular shade of green –it is almost like a light yellowish olive but not so dark—it was the color of my beloved grandmother’s carpet.
What is your favorite children’s book?
My favorite kid’s book growing up was anything Dr. Suess but now it is “Ghost Wings” by: Barbara M. Joosse—it teaches kids about dealing with loss, beautifully illustrated and is multicultural.
How do you prefer to communicate with you parents?
I like to meet with them here at school I also like newsletters and written communication –it sometimes is difficult for me to hear well over the phone because I suffer from hearing loss due to nerve damage in both ears.
Tell about a special event or day your class participated in. You may want to include some student comments about the day or event.
My students created time capsules that were incredible—we discovered so much about our selves and history and what we wanted our futures to become—the kids absolutely loved it and I’ll always cherish our “time capsule ceremony” we had outside in which we dedicated our lives to living for our goals and dreams and respecting the time we have on earth.
Any other interesting facts or information you would like to share.
Yes! I have two lap dogs named Rosie and Milo who are the loves of my life and that I love to travel in my 1987 RV I bought last year (which my friends and family feel that me doing that must of have been because I was going through my mid-life crisis a little early!!!).