Mrs. Beth Renick

I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God's help I shall succeed.
~ Vincent van Gogh

I am gaining ground on what I want to be and, with God’s help, I am succeeding.
~ Beth Renick

When I was a young girl, I remember sneaking up the stairs to my grandfather’s studio and peering at his projects, thus inspiring me to make projects of my own. Growing up, my mother dreaded another project because I literally took over the kitchen counter, hence the room became part of the “masterpiece.” And, for those who know me, and as a warning to those who don’t, the word mess should be my middle name, possibly my first. So, I suppose it is a good thing that I am the art teacher because art and mess go hand in hand. My art experience does not stop with traditional art tools. I incorporate a naturalistic approach into various art projects and stress the 3Rs of environmental awareness — reduce, reuse and recycle.

My personal teaching philosophy stems from a famous educator that l learned about while attaining my Master’s degree at Xavier University. He said, “Education is life.” I embrace that statement daily because while I am a teacher — and, by the way, I love what I do — I am a learner. I have learned, and still am, that each child is a unique learner. It is up to the teacher to discover that modality, be it verbal/linguistic, artistic, logical/mathematical, kinesthetic, musical, or naturalistic, and then tap into it. I teach to all modalities that center on hands-on activities.

I embrace the opportunity and excitement of beginning this school year and building relationships with the students and their families. I welcome your creative thoughts, and/or odd materials that could “become something else” in an art classroom.