TEACHER'S CORNER: NOTRE DAME ART TEACHER LOOKS FOR CREATIVE SPARK

Giving students freedom to be creative is essential in art class, but art teacher Jerry Grim knows firsthand that creativity can also be unpredictable.

Grim, who teaches art at Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau, explained that last year his advanced art students were assigned to do life-size self-portraits.

"One of the students did an acrylic portrait of himself in the Garden of Eden, fig leaf and all," Grim said. "Everyone got a big kick out of that."

Grim said he gets a big kick out of his job. "I love my job," he said. Grim also defends today's youth.

"No matter what people think, the kids today are great," he said. "They are not the same as kids were 15 years ago, but neither is the rest of society."

As an art teacher, Grim has a chance to work with gifted artists. But sometimes he gets more satisfaction from students who don't have exceptional talents. On occasion, these students allow a spark of creativity to show through, he said. That makes teaching fun.

Grim became an art teacher thanks to his own high school art teacher, Mr. Blanchard.

Notre Dame offers Art I, II and III. "It seems like there is always a dozen different projects going on," Grim said.

Not only are projects under way from art students, but he also lets students who can't fit art into their schedules to work on personal projects.

In addition to teaching art, Grim coaches girls basketball and girls softball. Last year, the girls basketball team finished second in the state in Class 2A.

His wife, Jody, teaches at St. Ambrose Catholic School in Chaffee. They have four children and a grandchild. In his spare time, he plays golf and watches basketball.