| I was reticent to go into teaching at first, but in | | | | five children supported on a teacher's salary, I |
| my Junior year, after a practicum and Senior | | | | needed that job! My home-economics friend and I |
| student teaching in art education, I realized that | | | | bought the National Teachers' Exam prep book |
| my personality was perfect for the job. If you do | | | | and studied like fiends. We passed! I was an art |
| not like kids, then teaching is not for you! They | | | | teacher! Amazing! She taught boys and girls to |
| will tease, cajole and test every fiber of your | | | | cook and make clothes! Amazing! |
| patience. Especially if you were a "special subject | | | | My friend got a job teaching 5th grade and they |
| teacher" like I was. The "regular" teachers will too. | | | | placed me in the Title 1, Basic Skills Program since |
| My schedule involved teaching 1200 children art | | | | they were conserving money. The Government |
| once a week. I was a traveling art teacher for a | | | | paid half of my salary. With my masters, I was |
| few of my sixteen years in art. When you go | | | | nearing the top of the pay scale. Also, it was |
| into another classroom, it is their domain! | | | | easy to place me there since I was starting in |
| There are special rules that a visiting teacher | | | | November. My son was born on September 15th |
| must follow. Never step on the authority of the | | | | after I attended the first week of school with a |
| classroom teacher. It is very humbling to be a | | | | very large belly! I returned to work after a C |
| "special". Some of the children would ask me if an | | | | section, with only a six weeks maternity leave. |
| art teacher, music teacher, and Physical Ed | | | | Greeting me at home was my precious new baby |
| teacher had gone to college. They would often | | | | boy, four other beautiful children and my stack of |
| ask me if I was a real teacher. After an art/social | | | | material for the four grade levels I would be |
| study lesson on ancient Egypt, my students would | | | | teaching. Sleep? What's that? Don't expect to |
| tell me that I should be a real teacher and teach | | | | sleep when you have a large family and a full time |
| social studies. Flattered and yet humbled, I didn't | | | | job. All I had to carry now was a handful of |
| really know how to take it. Was that a | | | | books instead of boxes of glue, art materials and |
| compliment? | | | | stacks of construction paper. I could also wear |
| After the birth of my fourth child, I achieved a | | | | teacher clothes. Gone were the slacks, smocks |
| Masters in Art. It took me twelve years to finish. | | | | and splattered abstract expressionist blouses that |
| I was like that bunny that ran across your TV | | | | had to be tossed at the end of the day! |
| set that just kept going, and going and going. I | | | | I shared my space with another teacher who |
| would tell my students to try something new or | | | | kept asking me how I could teach reading, writing |
| something that they thought they didn't like. | | | | and math, after teaching art. Was it hard? Well, |
| Some of us have to try harder, but if you don't | | | | every day I checked homework with my own |
| try, you'll never know if you can do it, or even if | | | | children who were then in high school, and I knew |
| you like it. What if a child never stepped foot on a | | | | the subject matter quite well. Our teacher editions |
| stage. Would he or she become an actor? What if | | | | had the answers. I was confident. I passed the |
| a physicist never looked at the stars as a child? | | | | National Teacher's Exam on the first try, and |
| You know what I mean. | | | | after teaching art for sixteen years, I had |
| My art teaching life was filled with challenges. The | | | | experience in relating art to every subject matter. |
| art teacher, besides planning and delivering an art | | | | I explained it all, and she never said another word. |
| program for kindergarten to grade twelve, must | | | | I was more than qualified. My new certification |
| also be a diplomat throughout the school. There is | | | | was from nursery school to grade eight, so I was |
| scenery to be built, decorating the gym for | | | | covered. |
| dances and shows, signs for Parent Teacher | | | | Little did I know how much I was going to love |
| Organizations, signs for the Principal's needs for | | | | this new job. The best thing was that my work |
| order in the building, helping teachers with bulletin | | | | day ended with my child's day. So, in his mind, I |
| boards, decorating the entire school 's windows | | | | could have been home all day. I was there to pick |
| for changing seasons, judging science fairs, be a | | | | him up. Sweet. After school was homework time, |
| guest at child study team meetings to show a | | | | with milk and cookies, then some outdoor activity |
| particular student's art, give teacher art | | | | while I prepared dinner, more homework, nursing, |
| workshops, meet with parents, draw circles on | | | | bottles, diapers, diaper bag and stroller, little |
| the floor for the kindergarten to sit on, pick up | | | | league, lunches, finally my reading, and then |
| classes from assemblies if it is during a teacher's | | | | collapsing at 11:30 to do it all again starting at 6am. |
| art class (prep) time, attend assemblies during | | | | You can and will get through it because children go |
| teacher's "prep" time, distribute the school's art | | | | through stages. They grow up! I think back and |
| supply order, and substitute teach when many | | | | cherish every worn out moment. |
| teachers were absent. Should I continue? Now do | | | | So, teach art if you like. It is fun, creative and a |
| you want to be an art teacher? I had amazing | | | | challenge, but get another certification to protect |
| energy, but did get worn out enough to catch the | | | | your job, and hang in there until your pension is |
| flu a few times during my art career. | | | | vested. That is well worth it. I took an early |
| When I was pregnant with my fifth and last child, | | | | retirement, so I'm off to the river now, with my |
| the Principal called us into his office and told us | | | | husband, to paddle whitewater in my Jackson |
| that they were cutting the special subjects and | | | | Punk Rocker! See ya later! |
| we better have another certification. Well, with | | | | |