Teacher Profile: Jodie Stallard, Middle School Art
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Teacher Profile: Jodie Stallard, Middle School Art
Teacher Profile: Jodie Stallard, Middle School Art
Teacher Profile: Jodie Stallard, Middle School Art
Andrew Mouzin
Teacher Profile: Jodie Stallard, Middle School Art
Teacher Profile: Jodie Stallard, Middle School Art

Middle school art teacher Jodie Stallard was inspired to become an art teacher by her own middle school art teacher, Sally Jones. “I knew I wanted to be just like her. She was so much fun, and she knew how to touch people.”

Jodie received her bachelor’s degree in art education, with an emphasis in painting, from the University of Kansas. “Art, I believe, touches every person in an individual way. When you create art, you are bringing your own self into the pieces, and it can be really soothing.”

She taught in the Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission school districts before coming to PHS. Jodie had initially been a substitute teacher at PHS before joining the faculty. “There’s a real connection between students and teachers at Pembroke Hill,” she said. “In our art rooms, the atmosphere is fantastic and as a teacher, it is great because we are given the freedom to create a curriculum that is student-focused.”

Jodie teaches sixth and seventh grade students. She enjoys teaching sixth graders especially, as they transition to middle school art. “It is amazing to see them go from learning procedures in the lower school in Janet Watkins’ classes, to now learning problem-solving and bringing themselves into their artwork,” she said.

She explained that for a lot of students, art class is a nice break from the rigors of their core classes. “They come in, and it’s like a stress reliever for them,” she said. “They come in and can let their guard down and loosen up. It’s messy cathartic!”

The seventh grade students recently finished a collaborative project with second grade students in creating paper mache cows for each of the younger students to decorate with images of iconic Kansas City landmarks, which is part of the second grade study of the city. “It’s the second time we have collaborated with lower school students,” she said. “The landmark project is perfect because seventh graders study community this year, so it’s a nice tie-in.”

Jodie and her fellow middle school art teacher, Mandy Stockman, enjoy watching students work with younger students. “It’s neat to see how they interact with the second graders and how attentive and helpful they are.”

Jodie shared the faculty in the middle school is a special group of teachers that she is blessed to be a member. “We have a very close group of people, and I feel very supported."  She added that it makes a world of difference to have a colleague like Mandy to work with so closely. “We are constantly working together and brainstorming on different art projects and what we can have the students create.”