Jamie Kolb Lord has been the art teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary West for 22 years. In this interview, she shares her path to becoming an art educator and what she loves most about her job.
Q: How long have you been a teacher and what subject do you teach?
A: So, I have been at Vestavia West Elementary School as the art teacher since I graduated college. I went to Birmingham-Southern, finished in 2001, accepted the job here, started in August and, with the exception of two years of extended maternity leave to be with my son who is now 19—it was a long time ago, I have been here 22 years. That's a lot of kids that have played a huge part in my life.
Q: What inspired you to become an educator?
A: So, I was inspired to become an art educator mostly due to my aunt who is now a retired art teacher. We spent lots of time together making art, and the way that it made me feel to understand how to create something for the first time was just very empowering.
I love kids. They are hilarious. They bring me a lot of joy, and sharing my love of art with children just seemed like the best choice for me.
Q: Tell us about your favorite teacher from when you were in school.
A: My favorite teacher is Marsha Hart. Shewas my tenth, 11th and 12th grade marketing teacher, but we just became friends, even after high school. She encouraged me to do things that I would not have imagined I could do. She told me that I could break the mold, I could break the shell, I didn't have to be a certain way. I could be whoever I wanted to be. And, knew that I was creative and pushed me to try my best, and I did.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of being a teacher?
A: So, probably an answer most teachers are gonna give, the most rewarding part about being a teacher are my students.Their joyfulness, their creativity, seeing their art. Watching them grow from kindergarten through fifth grade, that's such a big change, and getting to be a part of their lives makes me just feel so grateful. It's a great job and I love being here. Yeah, my students are the best.
