Nancy Sly is a first year teacher at Royal Oak High School and has been diligently working to create a community within the art department, helping her DP visual arts students and making slight changes to the courses for current and incoming students. She helps manage the new National Art Honors club at the school and has been incorporating more 3D work in the art curriculum, allowing more creativity from students.

Q: How long have you been teaching? 

A: “I have been teaching for 23 years.”

Q:What do you enjoy most about it?  

A: “I love teaching high school students;  helping them build upon their prior knowledge, and pushing them to reach their full potential.  I mostly enjoy helping art students with their portfolios and exhibiting their work.”

Q: With being a first year teacher here, what do you like about Royal Oak High School?

A: “I love my students and getting to know them and I enjoy working in my own community.”

Q: Reflect on this school year as a whole. What has been difficult and what have you enjoyed as a teacher?

A: “It was a bit rough jumping in at the last minute to a new room, and courses as I have been primarily teaching Ceramic, Sculpture and AP the last 18 years.  Most difficult was learning canvas and having 7 courses in Canvas to post and create modules.  I have enjoyed sharing the excitement of students getting accepted to colleges.”

Q: What are the new art classes that got added to scheduling next year, and what will you teach? did you have a part in adding these classes?  

A: “They are not new classes per se, but renamed so the rooms may be set up by material use.  New names of courses:  Drawing and Painting, Ceramic and Sculpture and 12th grader may take DP and submit in AP to earn college credit.  The district has been working towards having a more developed 3D program and with Ms. Shrode leaving the timing was right and I was hired with the goal of developing the program.”

Q: What do you hope for next year? 

A: “Build connections in the community to showcase student artworks more, like the library exhibit. I would love to have a Senior exhibit at the high school. I also would like to double the student Scholastic artworks in the exhibit.”