Perpich Arts High School – Pat Benincasa – 2.5 hours
This week I had my first day at Perpich Center for Arts Education - what a great experience!! I am so excited for my placement here. The school was set up like no other high school I have ever seen.
The students were nearing the end of their semester - so they pretty much had open studio. The whole atmosphere of the building was very relaxed, students came and went, I didn't even realize when classes switched. I talked with three or four students who are accepted to MCAD and highly considering it for quite a while - I told them all about college life and MCAD, they took notes and were very attentive and respectful. Those same students then gave me a tour of the gallery at Perpich and showed me around the whole school. It was great first day!! It is the conclusion of the semester, so I won't be returning till the 27th so that I can observe the beginning stage of classes.
My "mentor" - if you will - Pat Benincasa worked great with the students. She told me that teaching is like being a locksmith - all of those kids are locks. And, as a teacher, your responsibility is to open those locks. Its a challenge, and some are much harder than others, but when you work at it, and it finally opens, its the most rewarding thing in the world.