TONIA CHANCE

I am a 2000 graduate of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.  I am the first art teacher on the OC Tech campus, and I have 14 years of teaching experience.  Prior to teaching, I worked in graphic design.  I spent several years as a production manager for a publishing company that published quarterly and monthly bed and breakfast magazines that were distributed throughout America and Canada.  It was hard work but great fun.  I had the privilege of designing the magazine from cover to cover with a very dear friend, and it was very rewarding on multiple levels.

            I moved into teaching a little later than my peers and have now worked for two different school districts, both at the high school level.  I really enjoy youth/teenagers/young adults, and I am so grateful that I get to teach them what I call the fun stuff.  It is quite rewarding in itself.  

            I have taught Art 1 through Art 4, graphic design and pottery.  I love pottery and teaching it.  I love that I still have so much to learn about pottery. It is messy and rewarding and fun to physically hold something that I created and survived the creation process.  I love even more to see the look on a student’s face when they do the same thing.  I still very much enjoy the basics of drawing and colored pencils, the simple pleasure of a beautifully shaded image or precisely blended colors.

            My goals are to continue to grow in teaching and creating more of my own personal art.  I look forward to building new relationships with future generations and helping them to create and appreciate the arts.