Jamestown High School art teacher Melissa Furr was recently named the W-JCC Teacher of the Year, and when looking at her classroom, seeing her passion for the material or the impact she’s had on her students, it’s easy to understand why.
Furr has been an art teacher at Jamestown for the past nine years, and in that time, she’s found an approach to the material that strikes a balance between instructing students and providing students with what they need to pursue projects on their own.
“I always try to give my students the chance to grow on their own, to solve the problems on their own, but I will always be there when they need me to be,” Furr said. “It’s not my job as a teacher to tell them what to do, it’s my job to give them the tools and the skills they need, and to see where the journey takes them.”
That mixture of both hands-on guidance and creative freedom is what makes her great as a teacher, according to student Taylor Puia, who is in Furr’s art foundations class.
“She makes everything we’re learning interesting. She’s always happy and excited to teach us, and she always offers great tips on our work, like when we painted self-portraits; and she had an eye for even small details, like giving great tips on color mixing and texture,” Puia said. “She relates with the students, gives great advice, and her enthusiasm and sense of humor is amazing; I am absolutely going to take more classes with her next year.”
In addition to offering students creative freedom, Furr tries to connect art projects to real-world issues. This has ranged from connecting distracted driving to an art project about driver’s licenses or working with the Memory Project, a nonprofit that connects young artists with troubled children from around the world.
Furr says it’s one of the most important lessons she tries to teach her students: that humanity is just as important as art is to the arts and the humanities.
“This year we got images of Syrian refugees, which the kids then drew, and then we sent copies back to those parts of the world, and it gives a way to make connections between our students and kids from these troubled parts of the world, to make work that reflects something bigger than themselves,” Furr said. “Art is not its own thing. It can have so much more, say something powerful or connect people around the world.”
According to another one of her students, Gavin Solano, it’s a lesson that many have taken to heart, in part because Furr makes an effort to connect it to each student individually.
“She tailors a lot of lessons unique to you as a person, which helps you relate more to the projects, and more than even just the art projects, we talk a lot, she takes an interest in us and our lives,” said Solano. “She’s very hands-on, very helpful, she’ll come over, offer advice, ask if we need help or even just talk to us about how we’re doing. I wish more teachers would imitate her intuitiveness, or interact more with students.”
Furr has also done a lot of work outside of the classroom, and even outside of Jamestown. One such highlight from her time at Jamestown has been her work starting the Exceptional Games, an annual school event where students and special-needs students intermingle and interact over a series of projects and events, with this year’s event scheduled for June 6.
“I’m so proud of how everyone has come together to make that happen, we were able to take this group of students who tend to otherize themselves, and make them feel like a part of the community,” said Furr. “My youngest was just diagnosed with autism, and socializing can be hard for him compared to his peers, so events like this help students who might not interact with other students feel like part of the community and form bonds that last year round.”
Overall, as humbled and honored as Furr is for being named Teacher of the Year, she said teaching in Williamsburg has been one of her greatest privileges.
“Over the years, I’ve worked with some incredible teachers, not only here at Jamestown, but throughout W-JCC,” Furr said. “Everybody here is super supporting; if you need help, they’re always willing to lend a hand, or hear out your ideas. The culture here is amazing, and I’m very lucky to work in this division.”
Jamestown principal Howard Townsend IV said the school is just as lucky to have her, and her passion in the classroom and connection to her students is what makes her such a key figure not only in the school, but throughout the division.
“Her knowledge of art content and her passion serves her well, however, it’s her ability to connect students to art and to connect with them is what makes her special,” Townsend said. “Ms. Furr is a respected member of the Jamestown High School faculty and a person who I am proud to call my colleague, and everyone here at Jamestown is proud to see her honored as one of the best teachers in Williamsburg.”
