Patricia Gulino: Love and Light

I am so thrilled to celebrate the wonderful Patricia Gulino in the first Teacher Testimony of the 2010-2011 school year.  I am moving beyond the walls of my school to feature Mrs. Gulino who teaches at one of the other schools in my district, Chaffey High School.  Although I have known Patty for years (she is the GATE Coordinator for her school as I am at mine), I asked her to participate in Teacher Testimony after she was nominated by a former student of hers who described her as "one of the most influential people of my life." Patty has been teaching for 22 years and currently teaches Art History for 11th and 12th grade students. 

SE: Why did you decide to become a teacher?

PG: A complete love of the history of art and a need to communicate that enthusiasm to others led me to look for an avenue to spend my day talking about it.  While I could have chosen work in a museum, I believe that the museum environment would not have offered me the daily opportunity to bring the subject alive.

SE: How did you choose what subject/grade you wanted to teach?

PG: After spending some time student teaching in a high school, I knew that high school-age students were the right audience for me.  I guess I am still very much in touch with the teenager I used to be.

SE: What have you learned about yourself and the world by being a teacher?

PG: The young adults I teach are open, caring and generous people….because of them, I am optimistic about the future.  I am honored to be in their presence every day…they are a great gift to me.

SE: Did you have a teacher who inspired you when you were in school?  

PG: I had some wonderful university professors who still inspire my teaching today.  Perhaps because I did not experience especially inspiring high school teachers…I am dedicated to helping my students see our study of art history as valuable and worthwhile every day.

SE: When your students look back on their time with you, what is it you hope they remember?  

PG: I hope they remember that my love of art history, and respect and caring for them, resulted in a memorable learning experience.

SE: If you were speaking to a brand new teacher, what one piece of advice would you pass along? 

PG: Respect your audience…good preparation is a must.  A positive teacher will result in an affirming and collaborative learning environment.

SE: What has been the most touching?   

PG: The incredible tears when seniors graduate; their expressions of gratitude and love of the visual arts.

SE: What goals or dreams do you have for yourself in terms of your craft?  

PG: Excellence.  I want to be able reach every student every day.

SE: What metaphor would be most appropriate for you as a teacher? 

PG: I strive, like so many of my colleagues, to be like a ‘lamp of knowledge’…warm, illuminating and compelling.

SE: Any other info you'd like to share?   

PG: I love Paris.

***

Patty has been an inspiration to me in so many ways. Her passion, her confidence and her love of the arts make her a natural superstar. But her graciousness, her vibrancy, and her willingness to celebrate the talents and beauty in others make her shine even brighter.  Instead of basking in the spotlight alone, she widens it to include all of the students and colleagues who are blessed to have been touched by her.

 

A Call for Teacher Testimonies

Summer vacation means hours at the pool, library visits, no homework and so much time with my family that we can hardly stand it.  It also means a break from new Teacher Testimony posts, but it does not mean I am not still thinking about educators and how they impact our lives.  I would love to spend this two-month hiatus making contact with educators I can begin featuring once we are back in school and I would love some suggestions.  If you are an educator, perhaps you have a colleague you think would be great for Teacher Testimony.  Or if you are a parent, maybe one of your child's teachers has had a positive impact on your family.  Or maybe there is a teacher you had when you were in school whom you feel has some insights we would benefit from.  If you know a teacher who would be terrific for Teacher Testimony, please comment with the teacher's name, school and location.  I will follow up on these nominations and hopefully we can give those terrific teachers a little recognition for the amazing work they do!

Annie Murdock: Little, But Like Arnold

This Teacher Testimony features Los Osos photography teacher, Annie Murdock.  I have been able to get to know Annie a bit through her work with students on Advanced Placement  portfolios and many of my current students also take classes with Annie, so I see the incredible work they do.  At the end of the school year, Annie is moving out of state.  She will definitely be missed!

***

SE: When did you decide to become a teacher and

how did you choose what subject/grade you wanted to teach?

AM: I've known I wanted to be an art teacher since I was 16 years old. I've always loved my art classes and my art teachers. Appreciation for the fine arts have been instilled in me since I was very young. I started dancing at 4, playing the flute at 10 and began cartooning when I was just a little one.

SE: What have you learned about yourself and the world by being a teacher?
AM: Being a digital photo teacher forces me to stay current with all of the technology. I have learned that you can never know enough. I'm constantly educating myself. I visit museums as often as I can. I subscribe to art magazines and follow artistic blogs. Art aesthetics are my passion, so its definitely not a chore! About the world? I've learned that most people are inherently good. But, there are a lot more that are lazy than I realized...

SE: Which teachers were your inspiration when you were in high school?
AM: I have had a few teachers that have inspired me. The teacher that inspired me the most was my high school painting teacher, Mrs Astudillo. She helped me cultivate my love for paint.

 SE: What do hope students gain from the experience of being in your class?
AM: I hope my students look back fondly on my class and remember that although it was a lot of work sometimes, they learned a lot about fine art aesthetics. I want them to have an appreciation for all forms of the visual art medium.

SE: What one piece of advice would you pass along to a brand new teacher? 
AM: Something I've always felt strongly about, is to set the boundary between student friendships. You have to be strict in the classroom. It's challenging and uses a lot more effort and energy, but in the end you have a well behaved environment and the students tend to have more respect for you. My students overall product (their art) is much more successful when I'm this way. This all speaking as a very young, very little, female high school teacher :)
 
SE:What was your funniest or most surprising experience in the classroom?What has been the most touching?
AM: Because I teach an elective course, we have an environment that allows for more...FUN! I can't think of a specific [funny] event off the top of my head, but I can tell you, my students make me laugh daily.
As the school year rolls on, students become more comfortable in their environment and begin to express themselves in their artwork. Many students share heartfelt personal experiences. These moments are very raw and often emotional. One specific experience was when a student paid tribute to her father, who had recently passed away, in a photographic series. It was for our final project. One of the requirements is that they put their images together in a slide show set to music. The presentation was especially emotional for me because I had lost my father when I was 18 yers old. Photography is a perfect outlet for expression and students take full advantage of that.

SE: What goals or dreams do you have for yourself in terms of your craft?
AM: Seeing how I am giving up the teaching profession this year, I look forward to cultivating my own art. I've felt a pull for quite some time and I look forward to having time to paint and work on my own creative side. I will miss being in the classroom immensely. Someday I'm sure I'll be back.

***

Not only is Annie a talented teacher, she's also a fellow blogger.  Check her site out at  Brett and Annie.  She also maintains a blog for her students' benefit.  It lists and describes their assignments and gives examples of past student work.  She also posts excellent work by her current students.  I have loved seeing the look on their faces when I say, "Hey!  Saw your self-portrait -- awesome work! The combination of surprise and pride is about the sweetest thing.  I am going to miss that next year, but I applaud Annie for being willing to pursue her passion!

Darcy Salvadore: Finder of Delightful Things

I am so excited to have Darcy Salvadore as my first interviewee for Teacher Testimony!  Darcy and I met in 1999 when we went through the Inland Area Writing Project together.  We soon found that we were two halves of the same whole in many, many ways.  She says she's my evil twin, but in truth, we are both evil and sometimes I just hide it better!  We have both taught English for thirteen years, we were married on the same day of the same year, our mothers have the same first name and we shared our first pregnancies, delivering within a month of each other. Currently, Darcy and I both teach at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

I chose Darcy not only because I like her so, so much, but also because I knew her answers to these questions would be thoughtful, true, and a pleasure to read and share with you.

SE: When did you decide to become a teacher?
DS: I decided that teaching was the career for me the year after graduation from college. I signed up to sub to make some dollars while I tried to decide between going to law school or to graduate school. I always thought I would hate working in a high school since I hated being a high school student. To my surprise, I enjoyed working with teens and actually liked the high school setting.

SE: How did you choose what you wanted to teach?
DS: I majored in English at the University because I love to read, think, and talk about literature. If I were to do it all over again, I’d probably do art instead.

SE: What have you learned about yourself and the world by being a teacher?
DS: I learned that I really am smarter than the average bear. All of my life, I thought that most people were at least as smart as me, probably because my jobs and experiences led me to be with other people just like me. My classes have always been filled with a variety of learners, very few who are just like me. Being smarter than the average bear doesn’t necessarily mean you will have more success, or more friends, or be happier. It just means that some things are easier.

I’ve learned that it takes courage to try to do things when you are pretty sure you are going to fail. It is easy to try things when your success is a given. I see kids everyday trying when success isn’t guaranteed. I try every day in that same way.


I’ve learned that the most effective way to persuade people is by modeling your beliefs. In other words, let’s say you want people (colleagues, students, spouses, children) to try doing something your way (which is clearly better, because it is your way). You can instruct, beg, bargain, whine, or nag and they will steadfastly continue doing whatever it is their way. Sometimes, they will pretend to give in just to get you to go away and shut up. However, if you resist the urge to instruct and just show them, many people will go ahead and try your way. They might not give you credit, but you will have persuaded them to do the thing your way, which is what you wanted in the first place. I want my students to read, so I read in front of them. I want my husband to exercise, so I exercise in front of him. I want my kid to eat right and love well, so I eat right and love her. It is amazing how well it works.

SE: Did you have a teacher that inspired you when you were young?
DS: I had some really awesome teachers: Mrs. Timko who taught me to read and to play the guitar and Mr. Salisbury who made me feel really smart.

SE: When your students look back on their time with you, what is it you hope they remember?
DS: I am always surprised at what they do remember. Students from Colton [High School in Colton, California] looked me up four years after graduation to talk about utilitarianism. Who woulda thought these esoteric ideas would stick?


I want them to remember the lessons literature teaches us: What makes us human? Why do we act the way we do? How can we get along better in the world?

SE: If you were speaking to a brand new teacher, what one piece of advice would you pass along?
DS: Give yourself a break; be forgiving of yourself. Teaching, done well, is always difficult.

SE: What was your funniest or most surprising experience in the classroom?
DS: Funny things happen every day in my class, on purpose and by accident. The strangest thing, though, happened at Colton. I was in the front of the room, talking, when a girl came in the door, walked across the room, down a row of students to the last kid, reached down and picked up his soda, took a swig, and walked out. The students watched her in silence and the soda owner did nothing to stop her. I looked at the soda owner and said, “Do you know that girl?” He replied, “I’ve never seen her before in my life.” Who does that? Was she walking down the hall thinking, “I sure am thirsty. I know! I’ll just walk in classrooms until I see a soda on someone’s desk.” Talk about random.

SE: What has been the most touching?
DS: This year, both of my parents passed away, first dad, then mom. One of my students, a shy boy with learning disabilities, came up to my desk. He handed me a Hershey bar and a hand written note-card that said, “Sorry you lost your mother.” This simplicity and sincerity of his gesture really touched me.

SE: What goals or dreams do you have for yourself in terms of your craft?
DS: Some weeks, it feels like my only goal is to make it till the end of the term. But, that is just the day to day struggle to keep up with grading bringing me down. On a good day in the classroom you can actually feel the electricity from synapses flashing. I’d like to experience that more often.

SE: What metaphor would be most appropriate for you as a teacher?
DS: I am a wrangler of ideas. [She does have these perfect little cowboy boots that she wears with these short, cotton skirts -- I love those boots!]

I greatly appreciate Darcy as a friend and as a colleague.  She always has a new idea, an interesting insight or some wonderful tidbit or tip to share.  In fact, I haven't told her, but I am toying with idea of a feature on the blog based on her delightful finds.  The most recent one she shared with me is Natalie Merchant's inspiring new CD, Leave Your Sleep, an ode to poetry's presence, power and purpose in our lives. Merchant has recorded songs based on poems, but also researched these poems and their poets with attentiveness and respect.  The CD comes with a wonderful book that includes the poets' biographies as well as their works.
 
Thanks to Darcy for being my first Teacher Testimony and for always providing such encouragement to me in big things and small!

Teacher Testimony

We are not rock stars or professional athletes, but entertainment and inspiration are certainly part of our vocation.  We are not pastors or psychologists, but people's souls and emotions are often in our hands.  We are not firefighters, police officers or surgeons, but there are certainly moments when I believe we are saving lives.

We are teachers.

And while this blog isn't the LA Times or the Nobel Foundation, and therefore will not provide anyone featured here significant media exposure or prize money, this is simply a way for me to acknowledge the important, difficult, inspiring work that educators do each day.

My brand new feature is titled "Teacher Testimony" and in it I will interview outstanding educators and share with you their stories.  I hope it will enlighten and encourage -- just as great educators do!

Check out my first interview with my dear friend, Darcy Salvadore.