It’s Tuesday again, meaning it’s time for another Teacher Tuesday! It’s time to explore the arts with Mrs. Campbell.
Mrs. Campbell has been teaching for eight years, and all of those have been at CHS. Campbell said, “I teach Art Techniques, which is our entry-level art class, 3D Media, Advanced 3D Media, and Advanced Art.” When asked why she chose to teach art, it was nice to see that she has followed her passion. She said, “I’ve always been a very creative person. From a young age, I was always into arts and crafts, and so I had a passion for it, so I chose to do it as my career.”
Campbell is big on encouraging her students to follow their dreams, and if they want to do something in the arts, she definitely encourages it. Campbell’s specific reason for going into teaching is because of a personal experience. She said, “I went into teaching just mainly because I wanted to help other students. I had a middle school teacher who had told me that I wasn’t good at art, and I shouldn’t take any more art classes… I just want to help students find their passion for art and show them what they’re capable of.”
When talking about her education, Campbell shows people that you don’t have to do your college years in a row, and it is okay to take a break. “I graduated from Grand Island Senior High, and then I went to college right after high school, quit after a year, went on a leave, wasn’t my thing. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I got married, had kids, was a stay-at-home mom for 14 years. Then I went to college the second time. I started at CCC here in Columbus, and transferred to Concordia University to finish my degree. I have a degree in K-12 art education.” Campbell shows that it is okay to take a break from college if you aren’t sure what you want to do yet, and honestly, it is a fresh thing to see for students, and allows them to see a more real side of college.
“The thing I enjoy most about teaching is when students discover that they’re able to do more than they thought they could. When they learn something new that they had never experienced before, I just love that expression on their face when they realize they’ve learned something about themselves.” Campbell said this is her favorite thing about teaching. From personal experience, I never thought I would have loved art as much as I do now, but I do, and it’s all because of her.
Campbell does both extracurricular activities for the school and personal crafts. Campbell is the co-sponsor of Art Club alongside Mrs. Stodola, which focuses mainly on community art projects around the high school and within the district. Meanwhile, in her free time, she mainly focuses on doing crafts herself, along with listening to music. Campbell says, “I especially like doing journals, fiber arts, and embroidery. I play Animal Crossing, which my family tells me does not make me a gamer. I enjoy listening to music, BTS music… I also love watching K-dramas in my free time.” It’s really nice to see this side from teachers!
