Forest Hills — “I am strong and creative.”
“I am thoughtful and kind.”
“I am amazing.”
“I am an artist.”
Once settled in their seats, the Knapp Forest Elementary junior kindergarten students recited the affirmations for art class, a daily ritual that reflects teacher Sharon Tabaczka’s belief that creativity begins with confidence.
From there, an action-packed hour of creativity began as students watched a video about turtles before using glazes to paint their own turtle sculptures.
“Children are more creative than adults,” Tabaczka said. “They don’t have the ego or the blocks. They see so purely. There is a lot of laughter in this classroom.”
There was also plenty of laughter outside the classroom, especially at the start of the school day. As students arrived, many joined a dance party led by Tabaczka. On this day, she wore pink polka-dot tights, a black skirt and a pink shirt emblazoned with the word “Love.”
The hallway was filled with student art including a giant poster of Tabaczka in her trademark “Love” shirt and flamingo glasses, surrounded by hearts created by her students.
Many of them said it has been Tabaczka’s enthusiasm and encouragement that make art class — and school — a place where they feel supported and inspired.
“She is an art teacher, and I love doing art,” said rising fifth-grader Penny Luth. “I really like her because she is fun and creative. She likes me and I like her. It is a really good relationship.”
Discovering a Calling
Art has always been Tabaczka’s passion. After high school, she moved from Manistee to Grand Rapids to attend Kendall College of Art & Design, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in illustration.
‘I get 100 hugs a day. How would I replace that?’
— newly retired art teacher Sharon Tabaczka
Teaching entered her life unexpectedly. After arranging to teach art classes at St. Andrew’s Catholic School in exchange for her son’s kindergarten tuition, she found a new calling.
“I discovered this is who I am, and I absolutely fell in love with it,” Tabaczka said.
She went on to earn a master’s degree in education from Aquinas College, and expected to work in an inner-city school, but a nine-week substitute teaching assignment at Forest Hills Northern High School changed her path.
“About 75 kiddos wrote letters asking that I be hired permanently,” she said. “That spring, the principal called and said she had to hire me and I was like, ‘OK.’”
The experience revealed a deeper purpose.
“I realized they needed my personality at that time and place to expose them to themselves and their passions,” she said.
Committed to meeting students where they were, Tabaczka focused on building relationships and creating opportunities for all learners. After noticing students with special needs struggling in traditional art classes, she advocated for a course designed specifically for them.
“We would end the day marching around the room to the YMCA song,” she said with a laugh. “It was one of the happiest moments I had in high school.”
She also introduced student art critiques. Each week, students explored themes such as friendship or personal challenges in their sketchbooks before gathering on Fridays to discuss their work.
Students shared “roses” — what worked well — and “thorns” — what could be improved, she said.
“If I could … go back in time, it would be to these critique sessions because they were so magical,” Tabaczka said. “They were being seen and affirmed.”
From Portfolios to Paintbrushes
As Michigan implemented more standardized graduation requirements, arts electives became harder to fit into high-school schedules. Tabaczka was reassigned to Knapp Forest Elementary School.
“I went from helping students prepare portfolios for college to teaching them how to hold a paintbrush,” she said.
Not naturally drawn to crafts, she adapted her high-school lessons for younger students. They studied the elongated, thin human sculptures of Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti and the imagery and dreamscapes of Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali.
“I have people come into the school all the time and say they can’t believe the art is made by elementary students,” she said.
With the junior kindergartners, she had them work with clay to create their turtles and then apply glazes while music played and she danced from desk to desk.
At the start of the 2025-26 school year, Tabaczka realized it would be her last.
“Even though it’s right, it has been tough,” she said. “People ask me if I am counting down the days, and I tell them, ‘No.’ I get 100 hugs a day. How would I replace that?”
As she prepared to leave the classroom, Tabaczka said she hoped her students carry with them two lasting lessons: that they are artists, and that kindness and community matter. Those values were reinforced each day through a mantra students recite before entering the art room:
“We are ready to design.
We are ready to create amazing lines.
We are ready to balance.
We are ready to come together and be kind.”
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