Bellwood-Antis art teacher Mrs. Leah McNaul was a Marketing Specialist before she went back to school for education.
Why the shift towards mentoring and influencing young people?
“I thought art education was a way that I could help change society in a more positive way,”:Mrs. McNaul said
Mrs. McNaul said she loves design; however she disliked promoting companies.
“I felt like it didn’t better the society” she says, so she started getting into Art Education. To begin, she briefly taught in her hometown, then for Pittsburg Public, and has been in Bellwood-Antis ever since. This is her 16th year as B-A’s middle and high school art teacher.
Throughout her time in Bellwood, she has always enjoyed seeing how creative students can be.
“I get inspired by them all the time and jokingly tell then I am going to steal their projects for money,” she said.
Between teaching middle school and high school, she loves seeing the way how their personalties have grown over time and seeing them mature throughout the years.
“Middle school students are always eager to share their lives with you and the high school students are fun to joke around with.” She described the atmosphere with high school students as “easygoing”.
Although Mrs. McNaul loves working with all mediums, she particularly loves watercolors, acrylics, and ceramics. “My go to style in acrylics is a blend between impressionism and abstract.
“With being an art teacher, you have the pleasure of working with many mediums and styles, and that is what I like about the job.” She said she loves being able to move from one style to another.
Just down the hallway from Mrs. McNaul is her husband, civics teacher Mr. Matthew McNaul. Mrs. McNaul says that it is nice to work in the same school as her husband.
“Though I don’t see him much, it’s still nice to be able to stop by and say hello during my lunch break. He’s someone to decompress with after a hard day that can sympathize with me and I with him.”
Mr. McNaul feels Mrs. McNaul brings a lot to the district even beyond art education.
“She is very outgoing and can relate to students very well. She uses art to develop a positive relationship with students and helps them express their creativity.” Mr. McNaul said
Working together also allows their son to be dropped off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon by both of his parents. “Not many kids get that privilege,” Mrs. McNaul says.
Outside of school, Mrs. McNaul has sold art that she has made here at Bellwood-Antis.
