Karen Blakely wanted to make a difference, so she became an art teacher. Blakely, who grew up in Portage, has wanted to become a teacher her whole life.
“I had always wanted to be a teacher. When I was young, I had a lot of siblings, and I didn't really play with dolls. We played school at home, and I was always the teacher,” Blakely said.
Blakely teaches visual arts at Union Township Middle School. While she always wanted to be a teacher, she didn’t anticipate herself teaching middle school.
“I really had no intentions of being a middle school art teacher. I planned on being an art teacher, but this job came about, and it seemed perfect,” Blakely said. “I was kind of afraid to teach middle school, and the principal that I interviewed with said, ‘They’re still kids; they’re just bigger kids,’ and they really are.”
Now, Blakely cannot imagine teaching any other grade level.
“I love middle schoolers, they’re a lot of fun. What I love most about the middle schoolers besides the fact that they can be a challenge, is that you see them start out as children in the sixth grade and then when they leave in the eighth grade, they’re young adults,” Blakely said. “Being an art teacher, I get to see them at each grade level. I start out with them, and by the time they leave eighth grade, they are young adults, and that's just really cool.”
Through art, Blakely gives students a safe space in school; a place where they can be who they are and express themselves.
“I like that I can give students freedom of expression, and I think that mostly when students sometimes don't excel in other areas, they can shine in the art room. I think that’s really cool that other teachers and students can recognize that in a student. It gives them a place to shine,” she said. “Students who don't always excel in academics can shine in the art room.”
Blakely was inspired to be an art teacher through her own experiences during school. Her art teachers always provided a comfortable space, and she hoped to do the same for her students.
“I loved my art teachers. I still love my art teachers. I wanted to give my students a place they can feel comfortable at school, and I feel like I’ve done that. The kids come back from high school and they walk into that art room and they have a lot of great memories there,” she said.
Blakely provides that comfortable space for her students through art, creativity, and encouragement. She makes a difference by helping students find the things they are passionate about.
“I wanted to go somewhere where I thought that I could make a difference, and I do think I can make a difference in the art room because I help students find something that they’re really good at,” Blakely said. “When I see students get hooked on a media that they really enjoy, I feel like I’ve done something because it's a hobby, it's a pastime. Children that are working on things like that aren't out doing things they shouldn't be doing.”
Blakely emphasizes the importance of art to her students. To Blakely, everything is art. She teaches her students that creativity is a valuable skill and to find art in everything they do.
“I always ask my students, ‘What in the world is not art?’ Because everything is art. It doesn't matter what you do in life. I think life is an art. It's the art of life,” she said. “I feel that every profession has a place to be creative. I feel that everybody is an artist. To be creative is to go above and beyond any other skill level. You have to have that creative ability”
Blakely began teaching in 2003 and has worked at various schools throughout the Region. Prior to teaching, she had both her insurance and real estate licenses.
“If I had to give anybody advice going into teaching it would definitely be to have fun,” she said.
In her free time, Blakely enjoys working in her yard, gardening, doing yoga, cooking, and of course, creating art. She supports local artists and loves to create with found objects, her favorite mediums being clay and ceramics.