I’d love to introduce my very first Teacher Spotlight: Stephanie Arem from McKee Road Elementary in North Carolina.

When Stephanie tagged me in a reel and post about her art lesson inspired by my Doodle and Watercolor Dino earrings I literally wept. It was such a validating moment to have an art teacher create a lesson and teach her students about me… as an ARTIST. I cannot put into words how incredibly special that is. It brings me immense joy inspiring and motivating others to create. It is such a powerful thing to be able to inspire others and it is something that brings me so much pride. To know that another human is so deeply moved by something you say or create is so incredibly humbling and a feeling I will never get tired of.

Thank you Stephanie for sharing your work with all of us! And THANK YOU for giving me this moment. I will never forget the moment I saw my earrings turned into the most beautiful artwork produced by tiny hands. I appreciate you and all of the work you do for these kiddos. I know that you are making a difference for many of them and giving them so much more than you realize. The arts have literally saved my life, and I know it will positively impact your student’s lives too.

Here’s what Stephanie says about herself and teaching:
“I currently teach art to about 500 Kindergarten through 5th grade students in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is my 12th year teaching art to elementary aged kids. I began my teaching career down in Orlando, Florida, where I was born and raised. I am married to an elementary PE teacher, and a mom to my 4 year old daughter and 2 year old son. My family and I love camping, hiking, and the mountains so we moved a bit further north to be closer to those types of activities!
My favorite thing about teaching is seeing the joy that the arts bring to my students. So many of them look forward to the one day a week they get to come to art. They look forward to thinking outside the box, getting a bit messy, experimenting, trying a new art material, learning about a new artist (like you ) and having a bit of creative freedom that they aren't always afforded in other subjects. The arts truly bring kids (and adults) so much joy, and it's so fun to be a part of that journey for kids.”
You can find several videos, reels, and posts on Stephanie’s IG (@McKeeRoadArt) including step-by-step instructions for this lesson and more!