Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Stuckey.
Hi Sam, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My name is Sam. I work for a small Minnesota school district teaching visual arts at a residential treatment facility for boys in grades 4-12 that struggle with mental health and have problematic behaviors. Our students come to us from all over the state of Minnesota (and sometimes even from other parts of the country!) and stay at our school for anywhere from a couple of months to a couple of years. Many have been in and out of various mental health and/or correctional facilities before reaching us. When I was going to school for art education this is definitely not where I thought I would end up!
I was born and raised here in Minnesota not too far from where I currently live. I have been drawing and making art from before I can even remember and always knew I would do something in the arts. As I went through school my teachers became my role models and being from a very low-income family my mom always stressed the importance of education and explained it as my “ticket” to living a better life than they were able to provide for me. It became more and more clear as I was looking at plans for the future that I LOVED working with people and encouraging others to be the best version of themselves.
During my portfolio review to gain access to the art education program at my university, one of my professors asked me why I was going for art education and not pursuing studio arts. It wasn’t a question I had really considered but I didn’t have to think long to find an answer. I wanted to help other people find comfort, passion, and confidence in the arts just like I had. I didn’t just want to share my art with the world, I wanted to help others find their own voice and share their art with the world.
I applied for several standard art education positions in various cities and towns across Minnesota when I came across a listing at Onamia Academy – the school where I now work! It was clear that this school needed me and that I needed this school. My students’ lives are diverse and they have experienced things many of us could never even imagine. Every day for the past 4 years they have taught me about resilience, forgiveness, compassion, and patience.
My job is tough, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Even more so than teaching in general, teaching at a treatment facility is very emotionally draining. I am a person that just wants to make every situation better and when you are working with students in treatment that is just not always possible. I have talked with students who just found out their parents are giving up their rights, watched as students have been removed from the building in handcuffs, and had to respond to a student during a mental health crisis.
These are some of the more intense examples, but most of the situations that our students are facing are entirely out of our control and that can be absolutely heart-wrenching. I take comfort in trying to be a support for them in the classroom, an advocate for them whenever I can, and helping them learn the skills they need to be creative and create art confidently. My hope is that if I give them the skills and knowledge to make art, at least they will always have one thing in this world that no one can take away.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Truthfully, I am not that much different than many of the other teachers out there that are putting their heart and soul into being there for their students every day.
My students often refer to me as the “sunshine and rainbows” teacher. I am most known for my obnoxious positivity and fun-loving and laid-back attitude. I very strongly believe that kids should be able to be kids and if they are able to enter my classroom and forget about the problems of the outside world for an hour then I am going to help them do that. I also strongly believe that accountability is healthy and that there should be expectations and appropriate and relevant consequences when those expectations are broken. Because I am very clear on what these are and I foster a community in my classroom, my students respect this and hold each other to it.
This sense of community is what I am most proud of. There is no better feeling than seeing my students actively encouraging each other to create art, to keep trying when they mess up, to work through their mistakes, and being positive supports for each other in general. Some of my students have never felt successful in their entire lives, and when they get to experience success for the first time in art class – it is an absolutely unmatched experience to get to be a part of.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I would love to work with and collaborate with artists and educators! Because we are a school serving a treatment facility my students’ privacy and confidentiality are very important. It is easiest if you reach out to me directly and we can talk more about working together and what that would look like.
