Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Griffith

By VCS Senior Evagelina Campbell

Mrs Griffith has been teaching at VCS for almost 14 years teaching Art, Photography, and Yearbook. She teaches almost every VCS high school student at some point in their four years of high school. 

Q: What was the main inspiration for you in becoming a teacher?

A: I always wanted to teach since I was in second grade

Q: What is your favorite art medium and why?

A: Pen and ink because it's just something I really enjoy doing

Q: What’s one art project you love teaching every year?

A: It's hard to pick just one but maybe stippling because it challenges the students to really look at the value tones when just using dots.

Q: What’s the most unusual art medium or technique you’ve experimented with?

A: I'm not sure they're all pretty normal to me. When I was in college I did etching which was really fun to use

Q: What impact do you hope to have on the seniors you teach this year?

A: They all learn from me and hopefully they keep doing art in college and really just know what to do.

Q: You teach students to use a lot of different mediums, which one do you think is the hardest to teach?

A: Printing because I have to avoid them getting hurt but once they understand it they’re fine.

Q: How do you help students combat the idea that they are just ‘not good at art’?

A: I just keep making them do the best that they can and I encourage them. I assign them projects that build their confidence and I work with them until they grasp what they are working on.

Q: Is there any advice you would like to give students either artistically or personally?

A: Just always do your best and work hard at it.

Q: How has being in charge of the school yearbook impacted you?

A: I feel like It's exciting because I’m teaching students to create a book that will last forever, a lot of them do not have that experience and it's nice to see that they get excited about the end result.

Q: If you had to pick, what would be your favorite memory from teaching here at VCS?

A: It's the art show and seeing students walk around and look at their art. They express the excitement that they did it because they don’t see the work until the end and it's just really fun to see their faces.

Q: What class do you most enjoy teaching?

A: I like photography, I like art too of course but I love teaching photography too.

Q: Are there any extracurricular activities you encourage students to participate in?

A: I have an art club every Monday.