After more than two decades in the classroom, Fauquier High School (FHS) art teacher Dawn Brown is preparing to retire. She will be leaving behind 23 years of teaching, mentoring and creativity, not only in the classroom but also schoolwide.
Brown has spent her career at the school, building relationships with students and colleagues, many of whom she still strives to keep in touch with today. Looking back at her career, she believes one of the most meaningful components has been the connections she formed with students and observing their growth beyond high school. “I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” Brown said. “I have a lot of friends and a lot of good memories.”
Brown’s path to becoming a teacher began with her own high school art teacher, who served as a major influence in her life. Despite initially exploring other subjects for her career, such as special education and history, she eventually found herself reverting back to art education.
“She was my biggest mentor,” Brown said about her former teacher. “I kind of always circled back to art.”
Her approach in the classroom has evolved over time as she learned students adapt differently. Early in her career, she expected students' work ethics to follow similar outcomes. However, she later learned to adapt her teaching style to meet students at their own level, since every student learns at a different pace. Brown leaves all future teachers with the encouragement to stay flexible and allow students to explore creativity in their own ways.
“I think having every student where they’re at and adjusting your lesson to that student is important," she stated. “Let some kids be more creative in a different direction if that’s what they want to do.”
Having taught so many students over the years, Brown can’t just pick one specific classroom memory to focus on. Memories are constantly being made in her classroom, all equally as important, as she has always endeavored to create an unforgettable environment. To everyone around her, she emphasized the importance of the overall experience of teaching and supporting students through their creative development.
Undeniably, the goal for Brown has always been to create a welcoming environment where students feel comfortable. A key takeaway Brown desires students to leave her classroom with, even if they don’t consider themselves an artist, is a greater found appreciation for art and a broader horizon of the world itself. “I want them to enjoy the process,” she said. “Even if they don’t think they’re a great artist, I want them to take something away from the class.”
While she has loved teaching, Brown also acknowledged that her career can be challenging, especially in large, energetic classrooms. Engaging a student's focus in these conditions can be difficult, as teens are known to struggle with focus already. Regardless, she said the challenges were part of what made the experience meaningful.
As Brown prepares for retirement, she leaves a legacy of creativity, mentorship and a long-lasting impact on students for generations who passed through her classroom. Most importantly, she inspires current and future teachers to adapt to their students to increase their imagination and productivity in the classroom.
