About Me

Hello, new reader! My name is Charmaine Boggs aka The Creativity Crusader.

Welcome to Art Room 231, my "home away from" home in Room 231 at Incarnation School, a parochial school in suburban Dayton, Ohio. I have worn several hats during my 38-year career in education.

 Hat #1 was a 22-year span (with a few breaks for my child's arrival and a master's degree) as a classroom teacher for grades 5 and 6, during which I specialized in reading and science. Hat #2 was a six-year position as the assistant principal, which gave me a whole new perspective on the workings of a school! Now I wear Hat #3, my present position as the art teacher for grades one though eight, which I have held now for ten years.
The coolest part of this is that except for the first four years of my education career, I have been at the same school...less than ten minutes from my home!

Looking back, I know that art education is always where I wanted to be. I minored in art as an undergraduate along with my elementary education major, just because I loved taking art classes. Even in the early years I had my students illustrating stories and science projects, creating classroom bulletin boards, and acting out their book reports. As the assistant principal, I was always on the hunt for a project, grant, or school-wide activity that involved some type of creative process. And now, at last, I have my dream job...my own classroom art studio!

Two years ago, my school was officially designated as a STEM school, with a goal of integrating science, technology, engineering, and math throughout the preK-8 curriculum. Now, the music teachers and I are excited to learn that we are going full STEAM ahead, adding an arts integration component to the curriculum as well. This really isn't anything new, since the visual and performing arts have a long history at Incarnation School, but as a former science teacher, I love the possibilities that lie ahead!

I started this blog so that I can connect with teachers of all subject areas. I hope to learn from each of you as we share ideas, plans, and hopes for ourselves and our students!