Faculty Features

Meet our Team: Nicole Seitz

“My favorite remote learning lessons were those which allowed the students to share their personal experiences and a peek into their own worlds. As we were all so isolated, it was a privilege to explore and express our feelings through artwork.”

How long have you been with CDS and what do you teach?

I joined CDS in February 2017 to work with the website and communications. When the art teacher went on maternity leave, I helped fill in by teaching 4th and 5th grade art that last quarter. I began teaching middle school art the following year. This will be my third year in the middle school art program at CDS.

What do you enjoy most about your job?⁣

I love helping to develop the art skills that will aid students in any field they go into —observational skills, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, hand-eye coordination, design sense, self-discipline and perseverance. I enjoy seeing the growth in students’ artwork as well as their confidence. As students get older, that confidence becomes key to their development as an artist. There’s nothing better than seeing the smile on a student’s face when he or she knows the work produced was their best effort. The best part of teaching art is knowing I am investing into others’ lives and perhaps lighting a spark for their future creative endeavors.

What are your favorite remote learning lessons?⁣

My favorite remote learning lessons were those which allowed the students to share their personal experiences and a peek into their own worlds. As we were all so isolated, it was a privilege to explore and express our feelings through artwork. Whether drawing our houses as safe places nestled in the branches of a tree, painting what was outside our windows or we would like to see there, or creating sequential art comics to swap stories about our experiences, the students were able to contribute to a larger conversation that was pieced together in a beautiful tapestry in the online showcase.

What is your favorite spot on campus and why?

My favorite spot on campus is the art room. Seeing the students’ art all around as well as the supplies, gives me that feeling of untapped potential…that anything and good things can happen.

Favorite summer activity? and why?

This summer, I have enjoyed taking time to read, write and paint. I had set aside a large painting project six years ago, so this summer I’ve gotten back to it. I love spending time with my family and two cats, and sitting out on the back deck, listening to the wind blow through the leaves of my favorite tree.