Who is new to LRES as a teacher but has been a neighbor and a student at LRES? Dr. D! She's our school's new art teacher and is returning to elementary art teaching after years of teaching many school art teachers across the state. In this Staff Spotlight, learn more about her day-to-day at Laurel Ridge, favorite food spots around town, and her memories of attending LRES from 2nd to 7th grade. Thank you for fostering community creativity, Dr. D and welcome back to LRES!
Welcome to Laurel Ridge! How long have you been working for Dekalb County Schools?
Since February, 2024
What does your day-to-day look like at Laurel Ridge?
I am happy to live so close to school, so I typically walk up the street to arrive around 7, then prepare materials for lessons and monitor the hallways until students are in their homerooms. On most days, I teach back to back from 8:40 to 11:55, seeing K (or Pre-K) through 3rd grade, then have a lunch/planning break, followed by 4th and 5th grade til 2:20, after which I collect the first grade walkers and escort them out to their parents. I can usually finish tidying up my room and checking messages to leave by 3:15 unless there is a faculty meeting or some other activity going on after school.
What do you want parents and caregivers to know about your role? What about students?
I am delighted to have this opportunity to return to elementary art teaching, after years of preparing art teachers for this role. I now firmly believe that all professors of education should have to go back into the classroom to refresh their knowledge base and familiarize themselves with current expectations. I am learning so much, as well as putting into practice theories that I did not yet know when I taught elementary previously. It is challenging and so rewarding, and I am glad that this opportunity became available and I was able to make this career shift.
I would like parents and caregivers to know that I am proud to be a part of the amazing faculty at this school. I look forward to working together to build a strong art program and contribute to the community.
I believe that our capacity to communicate the human experience through the things we create is fundamental to our existence. Art education does more than just build cultural capital, it develops our humanity.
What do you love most about working at a school?
Interacting with creative young people! They bring so much energy and imagination! There are so many students at LRES with great interest in art, and I want to encourage their practice. But I know that no matter where one goes in life, the skills and understandings gained through creating, crafting, refining, exploring, solving, story-telling, and persisting will be of great benefit in the future.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
What is spare time? haha. When possible, I try to make my own art, and I enjoy cooking, watching BBC archaeology programs, taking walks with friends, spending time with my cats and my loved ones, and some travelling as well. I also like to make progress on my long list of home renovation projects.
What is your favorite kid-friendly joke?
Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 ate 9.
What were your favorite subjects when you were a student?
Art, of course, and creative writing and drama.
Do you have a favorite food spot near LRES?
I have several, such as Arepa Mia in Avondale, or Athens Pizza, or Med Grill, or Saigon Cafe, or Golden Buddha, but I mostly cook at home, so the Dekalb Farmers Market provides most of our meals.
Is there anything else you want to share? Is it true that you used to attend Laurel Ridge or live nearby now? What is your favorite memory of the school?
Yes, I now live in the house that my mother bought in 1971. I moved back here to take care of her as she grew older and fell back in love with the neighborhood. I attended Laurel Ridge from 2nd to 7th grade, and then Shamrock HS from 8th to 12th.
My first day back in the building brought up so many good memories. We had an English teacher, Mrs. King, who used to tell us we were giving her fits of apoplexy if we were too rowdy. She made me love diagramming sentences. We had a strings teacher who taught us folk dancing and formed a clogging troupe, which was so much fun. We performed at various festivals and events, and it became a long-time hobby. I have many great memories of my time in elementary school, and I hope to create great memories for current students.
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