Teachers

I have been blessed throughout my life with many colorful and interesting teachers. Some academic and some life teachers. Mrs. Bellman was my kindergarten teacher. I don't know why I love her so much. Maybe its because I can actually remember her name after so many years. I loved the building blocks we got to play with every day. I wonder if she had any inkling I would grow up and be an artist.

Mrs Robinson was my first grade teacher for half a year, until she left to have a baby. There were a long line of nuns after her. Sister Mary Immaculate, Sister Mary Donnamae, Sister Mary Jose, Clarence, Francis. My third grade teacher was Mrs. Hickey. I would have made fun of her name, but I didn't know what a hickey was. She tied Kevin Fitzgerald to his desk for not keeping his shoes on.

I think I loved my art teachers the most. Its was the one class I felt at home. Mrs. Little, Ms. Kaloper are two women that where there at just the right time to help me thru the teenage angst of fitting my being into a life that could be productive. Mrs. Little really didn't say much as far as words of wisdom. Looking back I don't think she was much older than I. But she let me hang out in her class and let me be me.

Ms. Kaloper was a rebel nun. I loved the fact that she was "undercover". It was in her class that I blossomed. I not only found art, but found that the creative way was not always the easiest, but it certainly was the path that let me notice the flowers and the weeds along the way. If felt like she taught there for years, when in fact, it was just one. And the best part, is that after all these years, we still touch each others souls in joint creative projects.

Life teachers are God sent. Linda & Paul, Norma, Anne, Paula, Shay, Annette, Jimmy & Jannie, Sol & Bernice, Connie, Dawn and many others. Teachers by example, teachers by words, teachers by tears. We've learned from each other.

My mom was my biggest teacher. She gets a category all her own.