(Emmalee Martyak)

When art teacher Eric Hoover announced he would be leaving the art department, much uncertainty arose regarding the future of the classes he was teaching. This uncertainty was cleared up when the then unclaimed position was filled.

Art teacher Olivia Gennaro accepted the offer for the position in November and was school board approved Dec. 2. She officially started Jan. 13, a few days before students’ half year courses would switch for the second marking period.

“The hiring process was typical,” Gennaro said. “I was in an interview with teachers and administration, followed by a tour of the high school. I was very impressed with the interview process because administration seemed to really care about who they hired and who was the best fit. I could tell they cared about what the new hire would be able to offer the students, and how the new hire would benefit the students both academically and personally. They were very well versed with the arts programs and the high school’s inner workings as a whole. I was very impressed by all of that.”

Gennaro’s love of art throughout high school led her to aspire to be an art teacher.

“Senior year when everyone asks you what you want to do and where you apply to, I was always in the art room, so I was like, ‘I’ll be an art teacher and go to IUP,’” Gennaro said. “I applied to one place and just went. It worked out really, really well, because I do love it, but I did not have that ah-ha moment. It just fit.”

According to Gennaro, her first impressions of working at the AAHS have been very positive, and she appreciated the structure of the days here. The biggest challenge that she has had to overcome so far has been getting her classes to warm up to her.

“A couple of my classes are very quiet,” Gennaro said. “It’s just trying to get them used to me and used to talking and knowing it’s okay talking and okay making mistakes in here. That’s my biggest thing: whoever’s in my class, having them comfortable to be able to take risks and to make the mistakes because it’s something they can’t do in most classes. That, and being able to speak their opinion respectfully. If we’re doing something like a critique or discussion, and they don’t agree with another student, or don’t agree with me, as long as they can express that, that’s okay, and that’s what I like. No kid’s used to that.”

Gennaro learned the position was available through fellow art teacher Kathryn Curry, who she met in college.

“We both went to IUP and were in the art education program, so that’s where we met,” Curry said.

Knowing Gennaro’s personality and experience led Curry to reaching out to her about the available position.

“She has an outgoing personality; she is really great with three dimensional projects and she has taught a wide variety of classes that this new role would be covering,” Curry said. “She’s able to connect and build those relationships with students, I believe, easier than most. She’s easy to talk to and connect with.”

So far, Gennaro feels she is adjusting well to working here.

“Everything seems to be pretty smooth,” Gennaro said. “Every district runs so differently, so I’ve had to figure out lunch duty and morning duty and those little things, but the classes are fine. I’ve taught K through college, and, no matter where we’re at, students are still students, and I still teach the same, even kindergarten and college I still teach the same.”

From her classes, Gennaro hopes that students will take away not only knowledge of different art forms, but also more knowledge of who they are.

“I hope they take away the ability to be themselves, and to speak their voice, and to understand a little bit more about art and understand their interests in art, ” Gennaro said. “So, if they have ceramics class and they hate ceramic, and they end up at the end of the semester hating clay, that’s totally okay. You don’t have to love everything. There’s some things that I do not like and don’t like to do, but just having the experience and learning, I think, is really important. I hope they find out some more about themselves.”

Where other teachers may focus most on the larger milestones their students meet, Gennaro finds that she most enjoys her students’ small victories.

“[I] Definitely [most enjoy] the little rewards,” Gennaro said. “Like, little wins that students have that they probably don’t even remember. If they’re excited about a ceramics piece they make, or if they were really frustrated with something, and then it just clicks, and they get it. It’s just seeing that pure joy, happy excitement over something. It seems so small, but it’s a really nice moment. It makes me super happy to see everyone getting those little wins, and just the connections with the students is awesome too.”