Laura Shaw, our LS Art teacher, loves teaching art and instilling a sense of pride in students for their work.
“I hope they learn from our time together, that their unique expression is an incredibly important gift to the world around them.” Mrs. Shaw loves the energy, honesty, creativity, and resilience that comes with teaching students.
I learn from them every single day, and they help me to be a better person.
Mrs. Shaw began teaching when she was seventeen years old at kinder care and eventually ran her own home daycare for ten years. After that she taught at Bethel, public school, and eventually made her way to Maranatha.
Mrs. Shaw doesn’t just care about her students with a genuineness that is hard to find these days, but she’s an experienced teacher who’s taught in many diverse environments. “It’s hard to describe the difference between public school and working at Maranatha [...] there’s nothing else like it.”
When asked to share about what unique experiences she has been through that contribute to her and her teaching, Laura spoke about her time working with Somali refugees who spoke very little English. She had to think differently about how she could communicate with them in order to teach them what they needed to know. Laura’s big takeaway from that experience is that—
No matter the age, kids are just kids; they want to be valued and seen. Every new day is an opportunity to reach the hearts of students who need a little extra light and understanding.
That’s exactly what Laura has been doing here during her time thus far at Maranatha.
Laura’s favorite part about working at Maranatha is the uplifting culture. Whether it’s with her fellow staff or her students, she’s constantly in awe about how well our people come together in times of need.
This unity all stems from our being grounded firmly in our Christian beliefs. “[...] the parents and the families and the students, they come up with things, different perspectives from the Bible, that I wouldn’t have thought of.” This is unity in action–people from different walks of life all coming together with one common connection: Jesus.
In terms of her content area, Mrs. Shaw couldn’t be more comfortable than teaching art.
My favorite part has been growing and learning with the kids and learning more about who they are as individuals and as artists [...] Watching students try new ideas and concepts out and deepen their own understanding of their own unique style has been such a blessing to witness.
Mrs. Shaw believes teaching students art gives students necessary resources to value creativity, even amidst a challenge. “It can lower stress, improve memory, and make them [the students] feel more socially connected [...] We want every opportunity for our children to be happier and healthier–and art gives students the ability to develop original ideas and think outside the box.”
