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2016 TAEA Leadership Scholars

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Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) is proud to announce the selection of four art educators as the 2016 cohort of Leadership Scholars. The TAEA Leadership Scholar Cohort Program is designed to work in tandem with the TAEA Leadership Institute to provide the membership of the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) with innovative, relevant, structured and supported professional growth focused on leadership skill sets to advance art education. The Leadership Scholars were selected from a large pool of applicants and will learn in depth about leadership in art education, service and structure of the Association and how they can grow professionally. The TAEA Leadership Institute is part of the Association's Strategic Plan for its members and future growth and impact. Congratulations to these outstanding art educators and their commitment to growing professionally.

2016 Leadership ScholarsTAEA's 2016 Leadership Scholars joined the TAEA Board and the Dallas Chairmen on a walk-through of the Dallas Anatole. Here they are in front of a section of the Berlin Wall.
(Click image for high resolution photo)
Jessica Gonzales

Jessica Gonzales

Jessica Jones Gonzales is an art educator At Ronald Reagan HS in San Antonio. In her 15 year career she has taught Art I, Drawing, Painting, Pre AP Art I, Sculpture, AP Drawing and AP 2D Design. A University of Texas Graduate, she served as an intern in the Picante Paper and Books Studios at the Southwest School of Art and also interned at the Harry Ransom Humanities Recherché Center. In 2008 she and her AP students were selected to create a Holiday Window for Artpace. She has also taught all levels of art at the Corpus Christi Fine Arts Council, Southwest School of Art, and Duke University TIPS. Jessica is a passionate art educator who loves nurturing young artist and believes in the transformative power of engaging meaningful art experiences. Jessica loves painting and spending time with her husband and her herpetologist-to-be 7 yr. old son.


Lizzett Herrera

Lizzett Herrera

Art has been a part of me from a young age. Teaching has always been a part of me since graduating from Sam Houston State University. When deciding who or what I wanted to be in my career it made sense to combine both. I have taught in a Montessori school with 1-4 years old in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I have worked as an ESL Paraprofessional and also was in charge of LPAC/ESL paperwork at Lewisville ISD in Lewisville, Texas. Now I am teaching art in a Residential Treatment for Girls ages 12-17. This particular teaching position has combined my usual art curriculum with a mix of Art Therapy. My goal is to enhance the learning experience of students of diverse backgrounds in art education.


Shaun Lane

Shaun Lane

During my time in college at the University of Texas at Austin, I was very fortunate to learn from dedicated professors like Dr. Christina Bain, Dr. Heidi Powell, and Dr. Melinda Meyer. Their methodologies and techniques have proved invaluable in my professional early years. All of the years of school and training have brought me to this point, and I can undoubtedly say that I feel more than prepared for the future as an art teacher at East View High School in Georgetown, Texas. I am pleased to say that I have never felt so validated doing ANYTHING in my life as I do now. I think my skill set, personality, and character are all conducive to the duties of an art educator, and know that I have the technical knowledge and support from those in the field to add to my arsenal, I am quite certain that my career will be a fruitful and fulfilling one. Reflecting on my growth as an artist and an educator has helped me to realize how important it is that my students learn to critically think. Art allows them to ask questions about not only the physical properties of materials they work with but concepts they wish to incorporate in their work. It allows students a medium to digest the world around them.


Cash Teague

Cash Teague

Cash Teague graduated from Abilene Christian University with a BA in Youth and Family Ministry with a minor in Art. He has been teaching art in Waco, TX for the last seven years in public, private, and charters schools and to all age levels. He is currently teaching Art I, Drawing, Painting, and AP 2D Design/Drawing at Rapoport Academy High School. He hopes to soon begin a Masters in Art Education and eventually teach at the college level. He writes "I love working with high school students every day and getting to know their quirky personalities. My favorite part is watching them struggle with a piece or technique and seeing their excitement when they finally master it, as well as seeing their point of view as an artist develop and refine over time.

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