WELCOME TO
A SPACE TO CREATE
ABOUT JANET
I am an experienced art educator. I love developing original curricula inspired by traditional and contemporary art-making practices. I know how to connect with students and establish a space for creating that
meets students' needs and invites exploration.
This website, a space to create, highlights my work providing opportunities for learners to develop
and discover ways to share and express creative ideas.
STUDENT TESTIMONIALS
collected feedback
This class has been one of my FAVORITES! I made so much awesome artwork with color! It was less about how skilled you are in drawing and more experimenting with color and shape!
K. L
7th grade Printmaking student
“I learned what goes into an essay about art and how to write one. I have a better understanding of the elements and principals of art and what to look for when analyzing or describing a piece. I had never thought about grouping art by subjects like time before and it was very interesting to see the varieties, themes, similarities, and differences. There are a lot of different things to say about any subject and we got to see that. I loved looking at different installations and other "nontraditional" art. I liked to revisit the art, artist, and essays we saw in class afterward. The most important take away from this class for me was experiencing so many different views whether it was from the artist, the public, or people in the class. I also appreciated doing the studio projects. I think having more smaller group discussion activities like that one that we tried would be nice”.
M.M.
Art History student
This semester has been really fun. As my first real art class, it was very enjoyable and freeing. For the first time I was able to explore my own skill and get advice and suggestions. I see growth in my patience and color contrast ability.
C.D.
Upper School Drawing student
I learned to have greater appreciation for specific types of contemporary art that I didn't really understand beforehand. I also feel like I can now walk into a museum and identify the general movement an artwork is associated with and discern some of its motivations, which I enjoy.
B.H.
Art History Student
EXPERIENCE
Work History Highlights
August 2007 - present
ART & ART HISTORY TEACHER,
THE ROEPER SCHOOL, BIRMINGHAM, MI
I teach Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, and Art History electives for grades 6 – 12. I create and deliver course content through demonstrations and presentations. I design original curricula with a focus on implementing creative thinking strategies and ideation methods. In this role I also:
Facilitate discussions and active-looking exercises to engage audiences with artwork, history, and context
Collect student feedback in order to discover potential areas of improvement
Continually develop and implement new elective offerings
Organize extra-curricular community art experiences
Collaborate and develop interdisciplinary courses
In my two years as Fine and Performing Arts Department Coordinator, I initiated projects to highlight arts programming, including the Spotlight Event Calendar and Illustration Battles. I also partnered with administrators to inaugurate the Alumni Art Gallery. I have served as advisor for Middle School and Upper School homerooms, and class advisor. I also organize fundraising events and coordinate cultural tours of Chicago and other field trips.
Spring 2023/ Summers 2022-2024
PRE-COLLEGE STUDIO INSTRUCTOR,
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN / PENNY W. STAMPS SCHOOL OF ART & DESIGN
I led a 5-session studio workshop in Relief Printmaking methods.
I design curriculum and facilitate college-level 2-D Design module for 2-week intensive Portfolio Development Session.
Summers 2021-2022
SUMMER ART WORKSHOPS AND CLASS INSTRUCTOR,
ANN ARBOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY REC & ED, ANN ARBOR, MI
I prepared instructional materials and facilitated educational art activities for elementary, middle, and adult students during outdoor and indoor workshops held in Ann Arbor area parks and school locations.
August 2006 - 2007
ART TEACHER, CHOICES HIGH SCHOOL AND BEST ACADEMY, TINTON NJ
I developed and taught lessons in drawing, design, painting, sculpture, & applied arts. I initiated the art curriculum and worked with mixed age groups (grades 8 - 12) with minimal resources, using problem-solving to best meet the needs of students. I promoted cross-curricular connections through arts-integrated projects.
August 2004 - 2006
ART TEACHER,
RIVERSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL, SPRINGFIELD, VT
I researched, developed, and implemented curriculum for over 300 students at 3 different grade levels. I managed art projects in both 2-D and 3-D art media. I co-facilitated district-wide Arts Integration In-service Committee.
I also coordinated the After-School Video Club, Set Design, and Cartooning workshops. I was responsible for year-round gallery displays and middle school art exhibit in downtown Springfield.
August 2000 - 2001
FOREIGN ENGLISH TEACHER,
SHANGHAI UNIVERSITY, SYDNEY INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE AND COMMERCE, SHANGHAI, CHINA
I taught first-year business majors (Conversational and Business English). I administered and prepared
tests, supervised listening labs.
MY SKILLSET
I have over 15 years of experience managing educational growth, establishing student relationships, and helping individuals identify priorities for their learning. Detail-oriented, and motivated by the desire to help others succeed, gain confidence, and find directions for future learning.
I possess strong time management and communication skills plus an excellent work ethic. I can successfully lead groups and advocate for others.
Top Strengths: proven ability to structure creative and personal learning experiences for diverse populations, resourceful, organized.
TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES
Blackbaud LMS〡Microsoft Office Suite〡Google Workspace
〡Canva 〡 Adobe Illustrator 〡 ScreenCastify 〡Padlet〡
CERTIFICATIONS
Michigan Teacher Certification K-12 Visual Arts Education (LQ)
EDUCATION
Degrees and Other Education Experiences
M.A.T., SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO (SAIC)
Masters of Arts in Teaching, Art Education.
Studied: Relief Printmaking, digital photography and video, theories of art education, action research methodologies
B.A., RUTGERS COLLEGE, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts and Communication, with Minor in Anthropology.
Studied: Oil and Acrylic Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media, B/W Photography, Figure Drawing, Screenprinting, Watercolor, Ink, Charcoal
OTHER EDUCATION
Teacher Institute in Contemporary Art, School of the Art Institute of Chicago Continuing Education, Summer 2011
School of the Visual Arts, New York, NY. Screen Printing Course. Summer 2002
The Art Students League, New York, NY. Figure Drawing Course. Winter 2002
Richmond College, The American University in London, England.
Video Production Course. Summer 1998
