Life by Art: Part Three
Jesse Hulse
Teachers deserve more credit.
I believe that many of us, at some point in our lives, might have taken those who taught us for granted. Maybe we’ve even underappreciated the impact they’ve made on our lives? But, educators who have the insight and ability to put nurturing over negativity, and promotion over penalty, are truly worth their weight in gold.
I can remember my kindergarten teacher, Miss Purdy, always complimented my drawings, and yes, they were probably done in crayon — those big fat ones like we used to have, long before I had access to the Crayola® 64-pack with built-in sharpener! And, mom would proudly tape them to the fridge, regardless. I’d also like to thank my third-grade teacher, Miss Hyde, for not chastising me in front of class for doodling when I should have been paying more attention to her. Or, my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Way, for allowing Tim Smith and myself to draw our history lessons in the back of the room while she taught the rest of the class about Magellan and Columbus. Mrs. Brown for giving me my first art award in our seventh-grade graduation ceremonies, and of course Mr. Kuzmin in high school, for teaching me to paint watercolors and guiding me on the path to art school.
Fortunately, there were teachers along the way that saw in me what I couldn’t see for myself at the time. Every one of us, if we think back hard enough, probably has a similar story and a teacher they could, and should, thank. And in reality, we sometimes only need the encouragement of one teacher to make all the difference in our lives.
So, how does this relate to art, you might ask?
Well, first let me preface this by saying, I think school administrations have tough jobs as they are being pressured to cut budgets — pushing one agenda over another. Forced to adjust curriculum to what may be deemed more important in order to meet national education standards. And, even now, having to make tough choices in the face of our current health crisis. I get it, it’s not easy.
But, we’ve heard the stories about programs in the arts slashed to make way for more academia and testing. Don’t get me wrong, academics are extremely important, to our children and society as a whole, but at the sacrifice of the arts? I’m not so sure. And, I know I can be a little biased here. It’s just one person’s perspective, after all. But music, theater, painting, sculpture, wood shop, metal shop, industrial drawing, and yes, even home economics (as it was called when I was in high school) each had, and have, a role to play in rounding out a student’s education. Even physical education and after-school sports programs have been ransacked in some instances. And to what cost?
Look, none of us fits the same mold. I feel I was able to benefit by being allowed to pursue a direction that was maybe considered “off-the-grid” by some. And, without facing academic penalties in the process. I’m no teacher by any means, but I think that diversity extends to the arts, too. We shouldn’t skimp on those programs is all I’m saying. Where would I have been without art classes, after all?
One of my good friends from high school, and fellow watercolorist, chose a career in teaching high school art soon after we graduated college at Tyler School of Art. It may not have been the most lucrative path for him to take, but I believe he taught art to his students with a similar passion that our own art teacher taught us with. Hopefully inspiring a new generation of artists and teachers in the process. He, along with a few other close friends who chose that career in education, deserve our praise. Those who bypass more prosperous careers in order to educate others is a noble profession in my opinion. So, I applaud all of you. You have my utmost respect. Especially for those who continue to teach outside the 3 R’s, who recognize those talents that maybe deserve a special nudge onto a different path.
The last point I want to make is this. My mother learned shorthand as a secretary in the steno pool at her first job back in the late ‘40s. Shorthand, right? And ok, I’m a dinosaur for even knowing what that is, but please, please, someone teach our kids how to write cursive for crying out loud. If for nothing else than to learn how to have a decent signature. Or, at the very least, make handwriting an elective like typing class was when I was younger. And, although, I never took that class thinking it was too geeky at the time, but now really wishing I did. At least if I had, I would know how to type using more than just two fingers.
East Pikeland Elementary School by Jesse C. Hulse
® 2018 Jesse C. Hulse All rights reserved.