After falling in love with art at a young age, student-teacher Kathryn Carl is ready to share her affection. Having a strong passion for art and building relationships is what Carl is going to focus her new career on.
Carl, a student at Kendal College of Art and Design, is not the typical student teacher. At 43 years old, Carl has already worked a near full career in the tech industry, and is now starting teaching. Carl has two daughters, a freshman at Grandville High School and a freshman at Western Michigan University.
“I spend a lot of time with my daughters. They’re everything to me,” Carl said. “I’m spending as much time with them as I can.”
The idea of teaching opened up to Carl two years ago. Before becoming a teacher, Carl was a five access laser programmer* and in the research and development department at Pridgeon & Clay Steel Shop. She worked her way up and was the first woman in a skilled trade as a CNC (computer numerically controlled) programmer.
“I loved that job. It was extremely challenging and if things had not unfolded as they had, I might still be there,” Carl said. “I loved what I did, and it really challenged me.”
Carl has an adoration for art and a strong affection for it. She wants to give back to students because art really helped her when she was a student.
“I want to give back to other struggling teenagers in high school. Sometimes people just need to know that somebody cares,” Carl said. “That’s my way of giving back, because I had those couple of teachers that cared about me.”
Carl aspires to be a hugely inspirational teacher, and she’s interested in art therapy. Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy involving the encouragement of free self-expression through painting, drawing, or modeling, used as a remedial activity or an aid to diagnosis.
“Part of me is interested in art therapy as well so I might go back and get my master’s in art therapy,” Carl said.
Senior Markelle White is part of the art program at the high school. White likes having a student teacher in the classroom and finds it helpful.
“One of the teachers is always busy, so it’s nice having another in the classroom,” White said. “She [Carl] is cool, I really like her.”
White loves photography art. Her interest started when she got her first iPod, and she would take pictures of the sky and draw them. Carl has influenced White to try new styles of art.
“[Carl] likes to do a lot of abstract work, and in one of my recent pieces I was inspired by her,” White said. “I used a lot of colors like her art style.”
Art teacher Tricia Erickson enjoys having a student teacher as well.
“It’s really wonderful having student teachers,” Erickson said. “You have another pair of hands to help, and you have some fresh ideas that bring new insights in your classroom when you’re used to doing things a certain way all the time.”
Being a mom taught Carl to be empathetic and patient which is an advantage when you’re working with teenagers.
“[Carl] has teenagers of her own. She’s very aware of what teenagers go through when they are in school and outside of school,” Erickson said. “I think that really brings a whole new perspective to what we do when we are here with the kids.”
*Responsible for the daily setup and operation of a CNC laser cutting machine.
