Jesse Gardner

Art teacher Jesse Gardner and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the challenges of teaching a supply-heavy course remotely, engagement in a cameras-off classroom, and the beauty of a growth mindset during these times. 

Gardner is an artist, teacher, mother, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-jeans kinda gal. She lives on a small-ish island near Seattle, WA, where she makes a home with her wife and blended family, including their four kids ages 16-20, two dogs, and a couple of pet rats. She holds degrees in theatre (BFA) and education (MA), both of which were earned from a small, private university whose loans she will probably never actually repay in this lifetime. 

Gardner teaches drawing, painting, and photography at a medium-sized urban high school in Seattle. During the before-times, her commute spanned a glorious four-mile water crossing via ferry but these days she walks about 100-feet to a backyard shed, where she teaches 100% remotely. Throughout her 20-plus years in public and private education, she's played many parts -- including administrator, teacher, advocate, and ally. Her students have inspired nearly every evolution of her career, and she remains continually gob-smacked by how lucky she is to be a part of their lives, even if it's just for a bit.

You can follow Jesse on Instagram,  @jesse_star_gardner.

Follow your host, Evelyn Lauer @evelynalauer on Twitter & Instagram.