art students,” she said. “If students are serious about pursuing a career in the visual arts after high school, we recommend they take as many of the art courses as possible during their time at ECOT, so they can work on building their portfolio for college admission.” The school also features an Art Club – an ideal match for students with a special interest in the visual arts. Students are encouraged to get in touch with Martinez or Patton for details. Martinez highlighted the fact everyone can find success in one of ECOT’s fine art classes. “You do not need to be amazing in art; that is what we are here to teach you,” she said. Erica Coffman, an advisor for the Photography Club, discussed the significance of a proper art education. “In my opinion, allowing individuals, especially students who are at the most crucial developmental period of their lives, an opportunity to express themselves and their creativity through art is fundamental to developing as a person and discovering the things that are most meaningful to them.” Martinez said she often heard the same question slung her way while talking with friends: “What? You teach art online? How do you do that?” While preparing to answer with her usual descriptions of communicating through the message center, along with using phone calls and live sessions, she began to ask herself not about the “how”…but the “why.” She described her love of teaching to ECOT Magazine. “I don’t have to stop my class to talk with the student who stopped working and started talking because he didn’t understand; my students keep working while I work one-on-one with the student who doesn’t understand until he does,” she said. The unconventional schedule is also a benefit of teaching art online, she said. “If they feel inspired at 7:00 p.m., they create art. If they get stuck, they message me and don’t have to wait for a response during the typical ‘school day’,” she said. “Each of my students is coming from a very different situation,” she continued.
These thoughts led her to look at her friends and tell them she’s teaching art all the time. “My students get my all and understand art,” Martinez said. “Many of my students who hated art learn to appreciate it. I learn from my students as they accomplish goals in their specific situations and this helps me become a better teacher. Teaching art online is much more than a phone call and I love it!” Patton described her journey to becoming an art educator. “I was extremely shy as a child and art quickly became my outlet,” she recounted. “I was lucky enough to have parents who gave me an art table in the basement when I was in elementary school. They also took me to the Cleveland Museum of Art when I was 10 and I was instantly hooked. Now I’m taking ECOT students on field trips to art museums, which is one of my favorite parts of my job!” “Doing well in an art class isn’t about painting like Michelangelo — it is about being willing to try new things and see the world in a different way.”
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