Dedicated to my High School art teacher

This post goes out to my old high school art teacher. I am not going to say the persons as I have that respect for you.

I had this teacher for grade 9, and than grade 11 and 12. This post shall be about grade 11, and grade 12. Grade 11, the second last year of my high school years. So, each semester we had to complete 1 major artwork and 1 essay.  I would say about 15 people in the class, So there where the DH's, these guys would never shut up and would annoy everyone. Then you have the ones that also never shut up, they just talked about what they did over the weekend and their favorite actor and movie was. And than you had the ones that did work ever lesson and not much talking, which I was in.

So, the teacher did not give a stuff and the DH's not doing work, they just sat there being a pain to every one  in the class. And on of the guys in there would make lies up to get his own way. So the teacher just sat there for 3 lessons a week and would do nothing, or would go the the gossip people and talk with them.

So, would draw every lesson, or work on my assignment. So the first assignment I completed was a series of drawings/ or a painting. I can not remember which was the first one, but in my eyes the work I completed had meaning to me and a good look from anyone else, they would be able to work a meaning out of it. So I complete that and the essay. and the mark I get back is a "C". Now, so it's now the second semester and I completed the other work and I cut up an image, placed it in a baking tray back in its original shape and filled the tray with water, and freezed it for a good week. took it outside and dropped it, and handed a filmed copy of the drop in as well. I believe it was the painting this time. and another essay to complete for the end of year 11. I do both works and get another "C".

Now, what pisses me off, is I do the work, and get a crap mark. Other people handed the assignment in weeks to months later, or did NOT complete the essay and they get a "B" or an "A". no dedication on the mark for being late by months or anything. I am handing all of my assignments on time and just scraping the "C" for the first year. And in that whole year, guess how much we learnt...... NOTHING!!! Where is your teaching skills, or did you leave them at your house each morning.

That was the first year. The second year, I thought, the bigger the better. More marks of course.... Same rules where you needed to complete an essay, 3 sets of artworks. and 1 video thing of yourself. First semester  I come up with a good idea, Have a Knight walking through a mirror. Since the idea was insane at the time, and purchasing all the materials I needed was going to cost quite a bit, I want for the custom approach. So I used wall skirting as the frame, and I believe some industrial material for the mirror part. Since it was an art class, I got some 2 dollar foam/ vinyl  to make the helmet, hands and foot. So I made a wire mesh of the hand, foot and the helmet, covered it up with the material. Painted it and handed that in along with the essay when it was due. And the mark I got reflected my creativity. "C"

And there where the people handing assignments in late and not working in class. I'm pretty sure that one of the requirements for the class was to work on your assignment in class. I got pulled up for the mirror idea because I was working at home, and could only take it in once a week to show the teacher, but no. I needed to work on it at school. This was about 2 metres tall so, leaving it at school was a no go as junior students would steal all of your work, and the teacher didn't like to give back your work after it had been marked.

So, next assignment comes up and I decide to do a digital image of an eye on Photoshop with Photoshoped glass infront and behind the eye. It turned out pretty sweet. Went and got it printed on a board, it was not cheap and hand that in, it was in a plastic sleeve to protect it from scratches. Did the assignment and handed this in the day it was due, as the printing take some days. Handed it in and got yet another "C". I got the art work back and no plastic sleeve, just sitting on a shelf with other art works on top of it. Nice way to respect other peoples artwork. How would you like me placing some on some of your artwork that can destroy it. RESPECT THE ARTWORK!!!

So, it comes done to the last piece of artwork for year 12. So I thought, why not do another digital image of all of the works I have completed and some that where in my artwork and make a nice collage of work. This image was of shattered glass with the artworks on the different pieces of the glass. So this turned out quite good as well, It was only A4 this one and in a nice frame. Hand this in, I do the video and hand it all in. This assignment get me......Drum roll.......................... You guessed it. A "C"


So, that part that pissed me off even more was that in the tow years of completing art, all we had learnt was the teacher was always late for the morning class we had. Did not give a damn about the DH's in the class, and would gossip with the gossip group for most of the lessons. And give people good marks for not handing in assignments fully completed. Not completing it on time and handing it in months later, and they got "B's" and "A's".

2 years, you think you would have learnt something, even how to draw a circle or something basic. Nothing was shown. I would have learnt with a monkey teaching me how to peal a banana. Or watching paint dry. I handed in all of my assignments on time, and All I got was a "C". nothing more or nothing less. just a "C". and other people got a "B" or an "A" for not doing the work. If I did not do the work, I would have gotten a "D" or an "E".

What was this teacher doing. Getting money just to gossip to students about their daily lives and what they are going to do over the weekend. Your a teacher, not a student. Teach something, and do not suck up to the other teachers when they walked into the class room.

So, What pissed me off the most, I went to collect the work I had handed in,  the collage artwork for the last assignment. This was the remark I got:
                                         "I little more work and it would have been complete".
You do not say that to me when you did not teach me anything in 2 years, let alone the first year I had you in year 9. And You Say that to my face. I give you guts for saying that to me, but when Other students did not complete the their work. And in my eyes it was Finished.


So, I start Uni in February the next year for the Animation course I am completing and the first mark I get back from the art teacher I had was a distinction  for my drawings. Really, I was shocked from this mark, I am pretty sure I did not go under the Distinction mark for any of the uni assignments I had with this teacher.

Thank you art teacher from High school for saying I can NOT get anything greater than a "C" for my artwork for 2 years.




I do not even think I should sign this one with my name at the end.