Congratulations Mrs. Morine, Nebraska’s Elementary Art Teacher of the Year
Congratulations are in order for Mrs. Becky Morine, K-8 Art Teacher at St. Wenceslaus Catholic School in Omaha. She was recently announced as the 2019 Elementary Art Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska Art Teacher Association (NATA). Each year, NATA recognizes outstanding contributions to student learning, leadership in curriculum development and participation in professional endeavors. Read on to get to know her and what makes her proud to teach in the Archdiocese of Omaha Catholic School system.
Q: How long have you been teaching at St. Wenceslaus?
A: I started out my teaching career at St. Wenceslaus in 2008. This is my 12th year.
Q: Why do you like teaching in a Catholic school?
I love the faith community at St. Wenceslaus. The prayer support and presence of Jesus within our building are priceless.
Q: What’s different about teaching Art in a Catholic setting?
A: My students can express their faith in artworks they create and we can discover the rich history in art our church has to offer. Our Loving Creator, The Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ are alive each time I witness students creating beautiful, unique artworks and discovering new media.
Q: Why do you feel like art is important for students in this day and age?
A: Art education is important for students to experience in so many ways. Students can express what’s on their minds and in their hearts in art class. They can also learn problem solving skills with trials and errors in different art media. Students can learn discipline and perseverance with art media as well. It takes a lot of time and energy to fully understand complex art media, even something that seems simple like watercolor painting has more techniques to learn than one can imagine. The arts teach students to be tolerant of one another and connect with the world we live in. The world is more visual than it has ever been and it’s not going away. Students will need to learn to navigate the flood of images they will encounter each day. With art education students will learn how important art has been to the history of this world and they can be prepared to experience the visual world to come.
Q: Can you share something unique or interesting about you?
A: I really enjoy food, except most seafood. One of my favorite things to eat ever is a warm chocolate chip cookie! I grew up in a family of Ford automobile lovers. I always wanted a Ford Mustang, so when I graduated with my Master’s degree in Art Education a few years ago my husband found me a 1965 Mustang and we bought it! It’s pretty fun to drive! I love my family! My kids help me to know Jesus more and more every day. I also love my dog, rabbit, and most all animals. I enjoy creating art, of course when my busy schedule allows me time, but some of my favorite media is clay, collage/painting, and printmaking.
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Congratulations again! We’re glad to count you among the many outstanding educators within our Catholic schools!
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