Why I teach...

I grew up with creativity on the brain. Starting at a very young age, I couldn't get enough of coloring, mimicking art that I saw (usually Disney characters and other cartoons), and writing elaborate stories to go with my drawings. I suppose you could say that creating gave me purpose. As I moved through elementary school, art was always my grounding force. Even when other aspects of school didn't grab me, I always had art to fall back on.

Starting in 7th grade (up until I the end of high school), I was enrolled in a private school that didn't have Art. Even though I loved school, I always felt like I wasn't reaching my full potential because I wasn't able to really be creative. This was my inspiration to become an art teacher. I wanted to give my students the experience that I felt like I missed out on in school.

I love teaching art because it allows me to experience the creative journey that each student takes, and they are all different. Seeing a young adult be vulnerable and create something, sometimes when they think they can't, is really exciting. There is nothing better than watching a student get excited about something they have made with their own hands.

"We became teachers for reasons of the heart, animated by a passion for some subject and for helping people to learn to experience it." -Parker Palmer