An Educator Who Has Called One School Home for 29 Years: A Conversation with Tracy Kovacsofsky

Tracy Kovacsofsky has been teaching visual art at Chatham Middle School in Morris County since 1996, 29 years in the same building where she first student taught. Ceramics is her medium of choice, and her classroom reflects a simple belief: when students make art, they connect with each other and with themselves.

What do you teach, where do you teach, and how long have you been an arts educator?

I am a visual art teacher at Chatham Middle School (Morris County) in Chatham, NJ. I did my student teaching at CMS in the Fall of 1996 and have been working there ever since, making this my 29th year teaching! Ceramics is my favorite medium to work in and teach.

How would you describe your approach to teaching the arts? What principles or values guide your work in the classroom?

It is critical to engage students in the art making process. It is a natural way for them to unplug from their digital world and screens, and connect in a mindful mode of learning alongside their peers. I believe that student artwork is most successful when it incorporates an art skill or technique with a project that blends the application of that skill in a guided way. Art skills, techniques and tools give students a foundation for creative expression.

Tell us about a program, project, or initiative you have developed or been a part of.

Nine years ago, the art department, eight full-time art teachers, decided to hold a district K–12 art show to celebrate visual arts with the community. The show runs for two nights each May, and last year drew an all-time record attendance of over 4,000 people. It has become the most well-attended event in the entire school district.

The department has applied for grants through the local Chatham Educational Foundation to fund display furniture, and community members are invited in as guest judges for awards in grades 6–12. The new superintendent has also created an initiative where she selects ten works of art each year, has them professionally framed, and displays them in the conference room at the Board Office.

How have you seen arts education impact your students?

I love the confidence that arts education fosters in students of all ability levels. Students that are gifted feel the confidence to challenge themselves further, and students that may not have confidence coming into the art room leave feeling proud of what they have created. I love when students ask me, “Did you display my work yet?” or when I see them stop in the hallway and look at each other’s work. I can see it building community and pride.

What does showing up for your students through the arts mean to you?

I strive to make art accessible to everyone and for everyone to feel successful. I work hard to differentiate projects so that they meet students wherever they are.