I have been a teacher for 38 years.  For 34 years I was a classroom teacher, and I taught 2nd through 5th grades with the bulk of my time spent at 4th grade.  For the past 4 years I have been the elementary art specialist at a K-5 school with 600+ students.

When I was a classroom teacher I earned my MEd in Arts in Education from Lesley College in Massachusetts.  Before the advent of online classes Lesley would sent out professors all over the country to work with cohorts in the area.  We met one weekend a month, Friday evening, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday in addition to a full week in the summer.  I completed this program in 1995 after 19 months of work.  In addition to visual arts we had courses in poetry, drama, dance, music, and storytelling.

I have always felt a strong pull to art.  My grandmother took up oil painting in her 60s after she and my grandpa gave up farming.  She also worked in ceramics and weaving.  Several of her paintings decorate my home.  My father is also an artist who worked in stained glass and wood.  As an artist I am not nearly as accomplished as my dad and grandma, but I love sharing art with students.

My process is to share books about artists with students before we experiment with their style and techniques.   There are so many wonderful biographies of artists are that are written for children.