Mrs. Sonja Dziedzic, Art Teacher!!

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME...

I have always loved teaching art to middle school students. I love how they are interested in new ideas and are open to new experiences; they are changing and learning about who they are and who they want to become every day; they can do so much and ALWAYS impress me! I want to challenge my students to always do their personal best and to trust me to help them get there!

Teaching in District 64 since 1990; at Lincoln until 1998 and at Emerson since it opened. Curriculum Specialist for Visual Art since 2007.

EDUCATION:

Undergraduate, BA K-12 Art Education,

Ball State University, 1987

Masters, MA Interdisciplinary Arts with an emphasis in Artist’s Book and Paper,

Columbia College, Chicago, 1997

MY FAMILY:

My husband is a mechanical engineer at CMA/Flodyne/Hydradyne. Our daughter, 19, is a sophomore at SUNY Purchase College, New York, with a major in Theatre Design and Technology. Our son, 21 is a senior at the University of North Texas majoring in Jazz Studies on Piano.

WHAT AM I READING RIGHT NOW?

I am between books right now, but sure I will be getting back into something soon!.

REFLECTING ON A CAREER:

I have been teaching art since 1987. Art Education has been an amazing career!! I could not have asked to be any more fulfilled than by working with young people and helping them grow. I have strived to help every student to understand that we all have creativity and fabulous ideas inside ourselves just waiting to be uncovered!! The current situation in our world has certainly required me to be more creative and resilient as an educator than ever before. This last year for me will be one for the history books for us all.

Thank you Park Ridge and District 64, for everything : )

MY MOST RECENT ART WORK:

I have been making pottery on the wheel over the past 6 years at Lillstreet Art Center, one class a week. Although I have been using clay since I was 5 years old, the bulk of my experience is with hand-building, so this has been a really fun challenge!! I don’t have a ton of time to commit to it, but I have created lots of mugs, lanterns, and most recently am making small covered vessels. I even got my husband to take the class with me : )

ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES FROM THE MOVIE AKEELAH AND THE BEE:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.