Lauren D’Alessandro named Centre City School Teacher of the Year
Centre City School is keeping the arts alive — and in high regard.
When awarding a district teacher with Teacher of the Year, Mantua prefers to utilize the element of surprise.
Lauren D’Alessandro, the Centre City School art teacher, says she was a bit more than taken aback when she received the award for the 2017–18 school year.
In the draining moments of a Friday, while “in the throes of a painting lesson gone wrong,” D’Alessandro stood paint-covered and confused as the superintendent, principal, curriculum supervisor and the art teacher’s father, a custodian at the school, walked into the room.
“Paint was everywhere, and I had no idea what was going on. Then they presented [the award] in front of the class, and I was in utter shock,” D’Alessandro said.
D’Alessandro received this award during a special time for the Mantua School District. In recent weeks, Character.org, an organization that certifies schools and districts at the state level that demonstrate a dedicated focus on character development, recognized Mantua as a “district of character.” D’Alessandro serves as a character education council leader in the district.
Jennifer Cavalieri, Centre City School principal, said in a letter recognizing D’Alessandro as Teacher of the Year that this teacher, “works to bring lessons, videos and other resources to our students and teachers to promote a culture of positivity and mutual respect for others.”
This award comes in D’Alessandro’s fifth year with Centre City School, all five years spent as an art teacher.
If asked 10 years ago where she thought she’d be in 2018, her answer would not have been a classroom.
Before pursuing a career in education, D’Alessandro worked toward a nursing degree but had a change of heart and decided to change her academic path.
“[It] was a beautiful mishap because it led me to change majors and embrace the arts, which I feel was a natural fit, and I later realized I should have just followed my passion for the arts from the get go.”
After transferring to Rowan University, D’Alessandro earned bachelor’s of arts and bachelor’s of education degrees. The latter was an add-on after some serious thought about how to utilize her degree following graduation. However, it awoke a passion within her. This passion for teaching she says comes with a cost but one she is motivated by.
“The biggest struggle I found with any teaching job is major lack of time. There is never enough time to get everything prepped, lessons written, room organized, brain organized, brushes washed and supplies put away. To combat that obstacle, you end up just sacrificing your time to make it work for the students. That’s not just me, that is every teacher I work with and know. The dedication and time sacrificed is utterly astonishing, but essential to do your job.”
One way D’Alessandro clocks the extra time is maintaining her classroom as a “library of artwork.”
“I store and catalogue all the finished products then store them for a district-wide art show at the end of every year. In total, we hang about 3,000 pieces of artwork. It is a sight to see, and the kids love showing off all their hard work.”
Throughout the year, D’Alessandro introduces students to different mediums, techniques and processes. Her students learn how to screen print T-shirts to wear on field trips, create mosaic journals and even engage in digital artwork via Google extensions.
The art teacher feels the sacrifice, this forfeiting of personal time, helps contribute to the overall atmosphere at Centre City School.
“Working at Centre City is a blast. Every year the climate is evolving, but at the end of the day, we are a family. Every staff member here goes above and beyond, and it is an amazing atmosphere I embraced and learned from.”
She added this atmosphere amplifies the success of the students — “The bar is set high here and in the end it is worth the extra effort.”
Like any teacher, D’Alessandro is saddened when a student passes through her classroom door for the last time; however, she makes sure each student learns to be confident and creative.
“In addition to exposing them to all different types of arts and materials, I want them to leave not being scared to try new things and be themselves. Not being afraid of an idea that may be deemed outlandish by some, but to embrace their creativity and understand that it’s OK to mess up along the way. I try to celebrate mishaps and paper rips. Turn it into a new problem for the students to solve, ‘How can I turn this giant rip in my paper into a masterpiece?’ Nine times out of 10, they do and their finished work ends up being something far more than they could have even expected.”
