Art Teacher

I believe that all children are creative and can learn all disciplines through art; students simply just need to find what kind of art they are good at. Art should be an escape and an expression for students under stressful situations in and out of the classroom. The factors that influenced me to become an educator were having specific teachers in my life that encouraged pursuing art. Those teachers were role models in times of difficult hardships and, in being so, I wanted to do the same for other children. In art education, I would be able to work on what I love in addition to helping others achieve their artistic potential, to express themselves, and help them therapeutically through the creation of art.

Having worked in an urban environment and a museum setting for my entire career, I bring a dynamic and inclusive work environment to my classes with hands-on projects ranging from classical portraiture to contemporary sculpture. Often outside my class-time and on my lunches/prep, students come to my class wanting to continue their projects or complete tasks for community service hours. In addition, I utilize various technology in the classroom, including the website Canva to allow students/myself to edit images used in the creation of their paintings. This website also helped students make certificates or promotional ads for themselves (voting for class reps, certificates used in award ceremonies, etc). I created a multimedia learning environment that allows me to differentiate lessons and material when I was out of the classroom on sick leave with stage 1 cancer (examples- MakerBot lessons online for sculptures). I maintain a good rapport with the students and staff, integrate technology for all aspects of the learning process, effectively communicate material to the students, work with colleagues on technology integration, work with colleagues and student reps for a majority of student events, and integrate other subject areas into the arts (history, math, science, English). I believe that ALL students are creative and just need to find which kind of art works best for them.

Personal Assistant

I began working with Elizabeth Public Schools in 2006, as a product of Elizabeth, who has had many roles throughout my journey. I have a unique background that equips me to provide students with exceptional service, guidance, and encouragement. I was a student, former athlete, coach, paraprofessional, and now a job coach for the transitional program and mentor to many students. My familiarity with many families within the Elizabeth community enables me to bridge the communication and trust of the school system and the students’ families.

I display affection for working with the special education population. I tried to promote functional independence and increase the vocational skills of my students both within the classroom and beyond. I work with students of different backgrounds, strengths, and challenges without difficulty by adjusting my approach based on student needs. “Coach Curt,” or “Coach,” as the students call me, likes to emphasize my talent in building relationships with students. Some students seek guidance on goals beyond high school. Students view me as a role model, as they see themselves in me due to my connection with growing up in Elizabeth. My personal successes of earning an athletic football scholarship, sending me to the West Coast after graduating high school, obtaining a bachelor’s and master's degree in education, and returning to give back to the people of Elizabeth motivate students to strive to achieve their ambitions through hard work and “Elizabeth resilience.”