Source: Mercy High School
Author: Mercy High School
Mercy alumna visual arts teacher and department chair, Ms. Susan Smith '84, was selected as this year’s recipient of the Inspiring Art Teacher Scholastic Award. Students cited Ms. Smith’s commitment to art education and the customized support she dedicates to each student as the reason she was overwhelmingly nominated. Congratulations to Ms. Smith on this well-deserved professional recognition!
About the Inspiring Art Teacher Scholastic Award
The Inspiring Art Teacher Scholastic Award is about the teacher who goes above and beyond the classroom. It’s about the teacher who really listens, even when a student needs more than just advice about their artwork. It’s about the teacher who can push a student to achieve something they didn’t think possible, build on their self-confidence, and offer guidance when things don’t quite come out like they’d planned. And while these are all qualities of the excellent art teachers in this program, Susan really stood out this year as an exemplary role model in this region.
About Susan Smith '84
Susan has been involved with Scholastic Art since she won a regional Hallmark award and a national medal as a freshman art student at Mercy High School. She volunteered at Scholastic Art throughout her high school years assisting her teacher, Marie Henderson, who was co-chair of the advisory board at the time. In the early 1990s, Susan served as a member of the advisory board and assisted with the show at Summit Place mall.
The 9th grade experience of winning a Scholastic art award and being formally trained in art for the first time continues to guide Susan’s philosophy of art education today. Susan believes that high school should afford students the opportunity to try new skills and find healthy outlets for expression which can grow into lifelong hobbies or careers. She has entered student work consistently to the Scholastic Art contest as a means of encouraging her students to continue studying art.
Susan has a BA in painting and art education from Xavier University and an MA in secondary education from the University of Michigan Dearborn. She has served her alma mater of Mercy High School for thirty years. Susan has studied and taught a wide range of two and three-dimensional media to help meet the needs of her students and school community. Susan is also an Apple Teacher and, under her leadership, the art department has had a positive impact on Mercy’s technology integration.
What Students Commented About Ms. Smith
“I would like to nominate Ms. Smith for the Southeastern Michigan Region Scholastic Inspiring Educator Award because I believe she has put in the most amount of effort, time, and care into her students than I have ever seen a teacher do before. She does not take art lightly, and does see the medium as a potential all of her students will master.”
“She is one of the hardest working teachers I have ever come across. You will have no issue emailing or scheduling a time to see her in person for in depth feedback on how to improve. She always grades our assignments fairly and gives a whole essay worth of feedback.”
“She often goes out of her way to email me of opportunities for scholarships or other art related contests that I can enter to get my work out there. There was a time when she put in the effort to attend an art gallery show I had won a spot in, even though the show was not in any way related to the school, she still wanted to support me by being there.”
“Ms. Smith knows how to perfectly balance giving her students both freedom and guidance. In our drawing classes she asks us to see the detail in everyday things and to draw our inspiration from there. She also allows us to branch out and experiment with various mediums. She isn’t afraid of using color and has pushed me to do the same. On one of my best still life pieces, she helped me build the confidence to do it all in oil pastel – which I had never previously used – and I am so thankful!"
“She actually prepares you for what is to be expected when you are out there in the real world. Despite me telling her I wish to pursue a degree in the sciences instead of pursuing art as I originally planned, she still treats me as one of her art students and goes above and beyond by researching and planning with me to help me get into the university I wish to attend. Overall, Ms. Smith is definitely someone who I believe deserves more awards than the world can give for how much she has gifted me in preparation and support.”