Date: Fri 03-Nov-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: AMYD

Quick Words:

Gunn-teacher-art-school

Full Text:

schools: Leslie Gunn feature

w/two photos(2col. 3col.)

B Y A MY D'O RIO

Newtown art teacher Leslie Gunn makes sure the bowls are full of tempera

paint, the students don't paint each other and the brushes are cleaned at the

end of the period.

And then, she does more.

During a recent class, she showed her Hawley School students how to overlap

objects in a picture to give it depth.

"What do we call what we are trying to make?" she asked.

"A composition," the students replied.

She has made teaching visual language to even the youngest children part of

her classroom assignment.

And still, she does more.

Mrs Gunn explains a composition in art is like a composition in music or

English, and that they must observe their subject, like they do in science.

She has them write about their art and approach each drawing as a visual

problem to solve. Mrs Gunn believes art is a great vehicle for connecting the

subject areas, so she makes connections.

And, still, she does more.

She fills out grant applications and brings new programs to her schools,

whether it is the Roots and Shoots program offered by the Jane Goodall

Institute or a grant to buy mounted animals for students to draw.

She organizes cultural field trips and has brought senior citizens into

classroom lives to share art.

And then, she does more.

As an educator, she gets involved in the larger issues of the school district,

always seeking a role for the arts. She has been a member of the district's

Quality Council and the Cultural Arts Committee as well as many other

committees and councils at the individual schools.

"She has a total commitment to what she is doing," said School Superintendent

John Reed.

The state art teachers apparently realize that.

Mrs Gunn, an art teacher at Sandy Hook and Hawley schools, has been named

Outstanding Connecticut Elementary Art Educator of the Year from the

Connecticut Art Education Association.

Dr Reed, art teachers and other school officials nominated Mrs Gunn for the

award.

"She has been a really dynamic and caring art teacher," said Carol Washburn, a

Newtown High School art teacher.

Mrs Gunn has been an art teacher for 17 years, most of them have been spent

working in this district. Each year, Mrs Gunn said she gets more confident

about her philosophies.

She has spent years advocating that art play a key role in education because

it relates to all subjects.

"It make connections," she said.

However, she said she is careful not to let her role as an advocate eclipse

her role as a teacher.

Mrs Gunn said her top priority is teaching and making sure students experience

success in her classroom. She said she strives to make the learning process

more important than the end product.

"I want to make them feel good about who they are," she said.

Mrs Gunn, a Newtown resident, proudly showed her students her award last week.

The students said Mrs Gunn is fun, explains things "really" well and helps

them get onto paper what they have in their minds.

They are not surprised she is outstanding because, "well, she is," said James

Terhaar.