Art teacher Rachel Santolini brings a personal connection to her role and to Princeton. The Studio Art I and II 2D teacher grew up in Hillsborough, and her experience growing up nearby has increased her familiarity with Princeton and transition to becoming a teacher here.
“I love Nassau Street. I’ve always spent a lot of time in Princeton. So when I saw that there was an opening to work here, I was really excited about it,” said Santolini.
As a recent graduate from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, her previous experience had primarily come from teaching at the Pratt Saturday Art School, which primarily caters toward children between first grade and 12th year of high school. This is her first year teaching only high schoolers, an experience that can be very hard to get used to.
“I was really scared of [teaching] high school. But Princeton High schoolers … are all so nice, and [they] are also personable. And so, it’s made it really like a nice transition to doing it here,” said Santolini.
Her teaching style has also been influenced by her experience as a recent graduate. From this experience, she brings a different perspective on teaching, acknowledging that it is difficult to be a student, but that being a teacher shares similar uncertainty on some level. Both as a teacher and as a student, you never know what can happen.
“I think that both are really challenging in different ways. I think it’s really hard to be a student and to be actively learning as you go, … but I think that being a teacher is also hard because in a different way, you don’t know what the next thing is, and you have all these students in front of you, that could just say anything at any time,” said Santolini. “As a teacher, not knowing is being unaware of what needs your kids have, or what they need to learn. Or maybe you try to teach something and they didn’t quite get it. I think teaching is a practice and, [like any subject], is thinking on your feet and changing things to the needs of your students.”
She discovered her passion in middle school after having a particularly good art teacher. Her main focus within art is drawing, particularly portrait work of family for practice. Santolini explains that she couldn’t see herself pursuing anything else in life.
“I don’t know. I loved art. I didn’t want to do anything else,” said Santolini.