As I think back to the teachers that I have had the ones who stand out in my mind were my art teachers. One might not think they were not spectacular teachers at first, but they were there and they fueled my love of art. Mrs. H. was my first art teacher who always wore a blue denim smock. She allowed us to explore and create art that related to us. She always made class fun and engaging. One project Mrs. H. had us do was a drawing of a bull’s skull. I do not remember what we used to draw it with, but I do remember it took a long time to complete. When I finished the drawing it gave me a great sense of accomplishment and instilled in me the fact that if I worked hard I could achieve my goals and anything worth doing was worth doing well. Why I remember her is that she allowed us to be us and allowed us realize that we could achieve our goals.

Mr. R and Mr. H were my junior high school art teachers. One had a coach’s mentality and the other look like Mr. Clean with a mustache. I always looked forward to their classes, especially if I had a hard day in my other classes. Their classrooms were inviting and safe and allowed me and others to take ownership of our work. They both were committed to us and willing to help us succeed. And best of all they wanted to get to know us. That showed me they were genuinely interested and concerned about their students.

Then there was Ms. W., my high school ceramics teacher. She let us be us and think creatively. One thing I do remember is that she showed me that an art teacher can be an artist. Often when we were working on our work she was doing the same. Ms. W made her classroom into a collaborative studio. She helped us when we needed help and asked for our help on her work. She truly made us feel that we are in this together – failure or success. There were a few failures by the way, including some memorable Rako firings.

One teacher that was spectacular from the very moment I met her was Mrs. G. She was not technically my art teacher but was an art teacher. She was the elementary art methods instructor during my student teaching. Mrs. G. was the nicest person you will ever meet and believed in all of our abilities as teachers and as people. She conducted the class has if it was her art class and at the same time showed us tips and strategies she learn over the years. She shared her lesson plans and her sweet personality which made the class inviting and safe. Without the resources, tips and strategies my first few years of teaching would not have been as smooth as they were. I wish I could of said thank you to her so many times but she passed away a few years ago. Even though Mrs. G was not my art teacher, I still to this day think she was the best art teacher I ever had in so many ways.

These teachers and others have shaped my life in so many ways that a simple thank you does not express my gratitude fully. I hope that I can be as memorable to my students as my teachers have been to me. Thank you Mrs. H, Mr. R, Mr. H, Ms. W. and Mrs. G for you have had a tremendous impact on me and indirectly on my students. By affecting one student in a positive way your spirit spreads too many more you will never know.