This week is Teaching Artist Appreciation Week! As a follow-up to our recent Teacher Appreciation Day blog post, we wanted to take this opportunity to feature more of the movers and shakers of P.S. ARTS. Please join us in thanking all of the Teaching Artists who allow our 20,000 students to access their creative potential each week!
Goreti da Silva (Theater)
Santa Monica/Malibu School District, Grades 3-5 and Compton Unified School District, Grades 6-8
Why do you teach?
I teach Theater because it allows me pass on an experience that changed my life. It is a great way to reach all students; those who haven’t had great experiences learning or are shy and those who are outgoing and love taking risks.
Did you have a particularly inspirational teacher that shaped you as an artist or teacher?
Mrs. Vivona, my 7th grade teacher, changed my life by telling my mom I should enroll in Theater classes to help me overcome my shyness. At the time, I was terrified – but, she was right! Theater brought me out of my shell and into the light of possibility, imagination, and joy. I am forever grateful to her and my mom for pushing me into my light.
What is one thing you hope your students leave your class knowing?
Humans are part of one large village, and together we can accomplish anything we can imagine.
Michelle Seabreeze (Dance)
Baldwin Hills Elementary School After-School Program
Why do you teach?
Dance is the expression of emotion through movement, and there are so few moments when we have the opportunity to escape our everyday anxieties and just move through our emotions. I believe dance is extremely cathartic.
Did you have a particularly inspirational teacher that shaped you as an artist or teacher?
I had an amazing teacher in college by the name of Cynthia Baldessare. She paid such close attention to each student that we all felt like we were getting special treatment. She listened to our personal stories and acknowledged our backgrounds as she guided us through our process. She made me realize the incredible power teachers have to help us harness our potential and scaffold our dreams.
What is one thing you hope your students leave your class knowing?
They have an infinite potential to create possibilities and paths for themselves in the arts and in life!
Ana Ruth Y. Castillo (Visual Arts and Theater)
LAUSD/Lawndale Elementary School District, Grades 6-8
Why do you teach?
Teaching is an opportunity to help instill imagination and confidence in children. Being a P.S. ARTS Teaching Artist allows me to connect with children in a unique manner. While we practice hands-on skills, I witness their knowledge, their thought processes, their stories, and their growth. At the foundation of the Inside Out Community Arts program is the healing power of art. When children are modeled healthy ways of communicating and expressing their stories, this skill will transcend into their adulthood, their families, and communities. The work we do is powerful.
Did you have a particularly inspirational teacher that shaped you as an artist or teacher?
College was the first time that I was encouraged to tell my story. I was told by my peers, “we must tell our own story because no one else will write it or say it for us.” As a first generation college student this was very profound, and I knew it was time to share who I was. I was inspired by poetry, theater, graffiti art, and music, and I knew that I would make my home among the arts. This is where I live now, and I’m grateful to be able to share the arts with children.
What is one thing you hope your students leave your class knowing?
What they have to say is important and valid, especially the youngest of children because they are so true to who they are. Children don’t lie, so what they express in the arts is a truthful expression of who they are, and truth is a powerful and empowering value to have.
Nicole Fisher (Visual Arts)
Santa Monica/Malibu School District, Grades 3-5
Why do you teach?
There is an artist in ALL of us. It is just about finding the thing that lights the spark, and that is different for each of us.
Did you have a particularly inspirational teacher that shaped you as an artist or teacher?
I had the amazing opportunity to spend time with Beatrice Woods. She taught me that life can take you on many winding roads, both conventional and unconventional. Stay true to who you are, but do not be afraid to take risks.
What is one thing you hope your students leave your class knowing?
They have value, and what they have to say is important. My goal is to encourage and inspire them to communicate creatively in their own unique voice. Finally, kindness and compassion will take you great places.
Lonnie Martinez (Visual Arts)
Santa Monica/Malibu School District, Grades TK-5
Why do you teach?
I was teaching art and music to kids even when I was a kid! I love to share – always have. When I was young I didn’t understand why I couldn’t give everyone I knew a present for Christmas. Then I realized writing a poem or song or painting a picture for someone was a way to give a gift and I didn’t need any money to do it. I didn’t set out to be an art or music teacher, it’s the path I ended up on by following what I love most: music, art, written words, and humans – especially the little ones!
Emma Joleen (Music)
Santa Monica/Malibu School District, Grades TK-2
Why do you teach?
I teach to learn. I’m a lifelong learner and children are the future. When I’m old and grey, the children will take care of the planet with joyful song and play. It is because of the children that I teach.
Did you have a particularly inspirational teacher that shaped you as an artist or teacher?
Yes, my parents both played musical instruments, and they loved to sing and dance. My high school music teacher was my most nurturing and inspirational teacher; I still admire her patience, grace, and courage. I feel as though the values I learned from my music education have carried me through a melodious journey along the music staff of life.
What is one thing you hope your students leave your class knowing?
“Life is a song, love is the music! “
Heather Lowe (Visual Arts)
Santa Monica/Malibu School District, Grades TK-5
Why do you teach?
I teach because I love to teach. There is not a day that goes by in which teaching does not inspire me or help me to learn more about art. I believe teaching is a two way street; we, as teachers and students, discover the mysteries of art together. When we listen to one another, we learn to see things anew. Creating a rich environment of trust and invention makes us happier human beings. Although I am connected to all the art disciplines, visual art is my main strength in art; it is my language. We are always students – always learning.
Did you have a particularly inspirational teacher that shaped you as an artist or teacher?
When I studied etching at Santa Monica College, there was an art teacher by the name of Baratucci. He taught me so many wonderful techniques, and my love for printmaking really blossomed under his guidance. I remember he once said, “You don’t have a printing press? Go get some wooden boards and use your car!”
An art teacher from UCLA taught me how to make perfect circles in the sand by taking a trip to the beach, learning how to listen to nature and how to focus on the creative spirit. Charles Garabedian taught me how to draw by observing with both my eyes and my imagination. Mr. Cheng taught me how to use the Chinese brush and ink by painting bamboo for hours. There are so many others!
What is one thing you hope your students leave your class knowing?
I hope that my students understand the value of art in their life and in their world. I hope they know that art can thrive when all else fails in their life. I hope they find that special skill that will help them communicate their deepest feelings and thoughts.
Juan Muratalla (Visual Arts)
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy (Sandra Cisneros Campus), Grades K-8
Why do you teach?
I love to teach! I teach so I don’t forget. I teach to make a difference. I teach because I believe. I teach visual arts because it’s what fuels the essence of my life.
Did you have a particularly inspirational teacher that shaped you as an artist or teacher?
I have had great people around me, but the first teacher that inspired me to believe in myself was John. I still remember his wrinkled skin and his tired eyes that projected love to everyone around him. John worked at a church that provided arts and sports for the youth, and he exposed me to a world that I had no idea existed. A world of color. A world that made me think. A world that brought a smile to my face. A world where I felt safe. A world where I felt free to imagine and create anything – even if it made no sense, to John it was a masterpiece. He shaped me into the person that I am today. A person that wants to make a difference. A person that hopes to inspire and give others the chance to believe.
What is one thing you hope your students leave your class knowing?
They can create their own space in the world through art.
