Hi, I’m Laura.
I’d like to tell you a story about why I love being an art teacher.
When I was growing up, my FAVORITE movie was Shrek. I could quote it backward and forward. At the time I couldn’t tell you this, but Shrek is about a character who feels different from everyone around him but keeps it to himself. Can we see where this is going? I was always a quiet and shy kid, and art was an escape for me when I couldn’t find the words. I remember the visceral feeling each time I would watch Shrek and he would say “For your information, there’s a lot more to ogres than people think.” No, i’m not calling myself an ogre. I am an artist. And there’s a lot more to artists than people think. I think Shrek represented the honesty and realness of feeling different, and as I found myself on a path to becoming a teacher, I always found myself looking back at that movie. It gave me permission to be an outsider. We all feel different; we all feel misunderstood. I love being a guide, a conduit, or a safe place for students like me who feel like art is an escape. Maybe one day, like I look back on that movie, they’ll look back on my classroom as a moment that changed everything… as a moment that gave them permission to be different.
