Staff Spotlight: Heather McKinney
Heather McKinney is the art teacher at Norris Elementary School and has taught in East Hartford for 16 years. She teaches six classes a day during which she shares her passion for art with her K-5 students.
“Mrs. McKinney is a phenomenal art teacher. She motivates the students to take risks. She motivates the students to be creative and to think outside the box. I don't believe I've ever heard her say no when a student presents an idea of something that they can add to their project in terms of a detail,” said Norris Principal Corrie Schram. “She really encourages students to tap into who they are as artists and to make their projects great.”
“She’s an asset to our school community,” Schram added. “We are a very art forward school and we love to show the work that our students do. With every changing season, there’s a new art project to recognize, to celebrate and to enjoy.”
Learn more about Heather McKinney in the Q&A below.
How long have you been in your current role? Walk us through your teaching career thus far.
McKinney: I've been in East Hartford for about 16 years, 13 at Norris. I actually did my student teaching in East Hartford as well. So I started off at Pitkin and then I was at the high school, but I love my position now because I get to have those kids for the full six years. So I see them in the beginning when they're learning the building blocks: their shapes, their colors, how to hold a pair of scissors or glue things together without things falling apart. And then by fifth grade, they have developed their own artistic voice. They develop the skills to reflect on their art and respond to other people's artwork. And seeing that progression, it's just kind of special.
Over those six years, you likely notice those students who are really developing that love for art or an aptitude for art. How do you nurture that?
McKinney: One of the things that I’ve found really important, when they're little especially but we review it every year, is the idea that you can't mess up, right? So the idea is to try to get everybody to develop that love for art, and not just those few kids that you look at and you're like, “Oh, they're the artists in my class,” you know?
Art is all inclusive. Everybody can make art. There's no good or bad art, it's all about opinions and what you like. So really just kind of developing that idea that we all need to take chances and be comfortable. That's a huge thing in this room. Nobody's going to judge you in here. It doesn't matter how talented you are, you know, just take that chance and dive in.
Is that what makes teaching art special compared to other subjects? That room to take chances and be creative?
McKinney: For lack of a better way of putting it, it’s the fun class for the day, and people say that to me. But it is. It's that break for all different kids to not have to decide what's right or wrong. Sometimes they'll come in, they'll be like, “Am I doing this right?” And it's like, no, there is no right or wrong. This is about you telling your story or you expressing yourself and just diving in and getting messy and having fun, that's the best part.
Another special aspect of art class is creating something to take home and show off. Do you see that pride when students worked hard on a project and are able to see the outcome?
McKinney: I love Norris because we have art displayed everywhere. From the second you walk in the building, I have giant bulletin boards. I think there's probably like 15 in the school. As a school, we've just developed such a culture of respect and love for the art here, and they have so much pride in seeing it hung up and on display. That pride of like, “I made this” because a lot of times they don't think they can. And then that final like, “Wow, I did this!”
After 16 years teaching art, what do you love most about what you do every day?
McKinney: I think like one of the things I love the most is just the fact that I'm constantly learning. There's always new things I can do, different ways I can teach to reach more kids and make more kids love art. And every year you're getting a new batch of kiddos with different personalities and then, again, you get to see that growth, that transition over the six years.
And, you know, my mom was an art teacher. My grandmother was an artist. It was just in our blood to do art. And so getting to share that with kids and share that love is really special.