Teaching teen drawing night at the library was a great gig.

I have been a K-5th grade art teacher for 14 years.  I love my students and I love what they do, but they are so predictable.  I've reached the point where in a crazy loud classroom a kid can ask me a question and even if I did not hear them at all, I can give them the right answer (98% of the time).

I have been using my art studio to try and teach older students.   Of course, my K-2 classes have been pretty full each week, and I currently have a fourth grade student for private lessons, and one fifth grader enrolled in another class..... so, it's not quite working out as planned.  I have been having a great time teaching my wine+paint events.  Those are great, and I love how receptive and peaceful the class is.  It's that inbetweener group, the tweens & teens that I really want to reach.

Luckily (& finally!) I had the chance when I taught a Teen Drawing Night at the Westmont Public Library.  Of course I was nervous.  I had not taught Junior High or High School for 14 years. A memory that stands out is an 8th grader pushing his desk over and swearing at me. I also remember the time a high school boy trapped a mouse in my classroom and took it outside and threw it.  I was about 4 years older than him, and I taught in a pole barn.  Ahhh Central Illinois.

Yes, I was nervous for Teen Drawing Night.

Holy Cow!  This class at the library was FANTASTIC!  I knew some of the kids because they go to school with my kids, but some strangers were in the crowd too and it was great.  Talk about receptive, these kids were listening, they were polite, they did what I asked them to do.  It was like heaven.

So, naturally now, I am on a mission to find a job teaching junior high.  I know that all junior high kids must act this way these days when they come to art!  I can't wait!