RACINE — Creativity was flowing in Miss. Baylee Grueser’s class when she assigned her students a playful but ambitious task: create portraits of their Southern teachers.
“The students drew names and then got to work,” said Grueser.
The lucky (or unlucky) muses included Mr. William Whitlock, Mr. Chad Dodson, Mr. Kevin Porter, Mrs. Courtney Manuel, Mrs. Kayte Manuel, Ms. Ryan Davis, Ms. Jenna Meeks, Mr. Jordan Pickens, Mr. Nick Hicks, Ms. Amanda Rinaldi, Mrs. Sarah El-Debaja, Mr. Philip Hoffman, and Mr. David Maxson.
What resulted wasn’t just art — it was personality on paper.
Mr. Kevin Porter, an intervention teacher with a great sense of humor, couldn’t resist cracking a joke about his student-drawn likeness.
Ms. Lanning: “What do you think of your portrait?”
Mr. Porter: “I didn’t know I was that ugly.”
Ms. Lanning: “You’re not ugly.”
English teacher Mr. Whitlock said he’s been grinning ear to ear seeing the displays.
“It’s obvious to see the sincere effort from many of the artists,” Whitlock explained. “Overall, I have enjoyed them and so have the students. It’s nice to see the work displayed and to talk about the portraits.”
Spanish teacher Mrs. Kayte Manuel loved how one portrait captured her inner frustration during inattentive moments.
“This is an accurate depiction of my feelings inside when I get frustrated,” she shared. “I am truly honored to have been highlighted in this project. It’s different for sure.”
Science teacher Mrs. Courtney Manuel appreciated her magical makeover.
“The glasses are perfectly round,” she said. “I do have some nice bling. I appreciate that they noticed I got my hair cut since the picture was taken. Look, I have little nobs on my nose.”
Another portrait of Courtney gave her an unexpected feature:
“You can tell the person worked really hard with the shading,” she commented. “I have perfect teeth in this portrait. I didn’t know I had an Adam’s apple, though (giggle). I think they had fun drawing this.”
STEM teacher Mrs. Sarah El-Debaja summed it up simply:
“My portraits were better than I anticipated or feared. Well done.”
Social Studies teacher Mr. David Maxson said the artistic quality took his breath away.
“I felt like the artist captured my inner beauty in the most avant-garde way possible,” said Mr. Maxson.
Math teacher Ms. Davis said the assignment was very cool.
“It’s very unique and I have not seen anything like it. The kids are so talented,” Ms. Davis shared.
Ms. Rinaldi mirrored Ms. Davis’ thoughts about the assignment and was very impressed.
“Man, my eyebrows look good!” said Ms. Rinaldi. “I think it was a very good attempt because faces are hard to draw.”
American history teacher Mr. Pickens enjoyed seeing his portraits.
“It’s a very interesting perspective,” Mr. Pickens said.
Band director Chad Dodson said he loved his portraits.
“I think it was a great assignment,” Mr. Dodson shared. “The pieces depicting me were very creative and you can tell the students put a lot of thoughtful work into it. I just want to bang on the drum all day. Great job!”
Agriculture education instructor Ms. Jenna Meeks wore a big grin when she first saw her portrait.
“I have really nice teeth and a smile in this portrait,” Meeks commented.
Health and P.E. teacher Mr. Hicks expressed his joy about being featured in the project, saying, “Finally, someone captured my Monday morning look perfectly!”
Elementary gym teacher Mr. Hoffman said the artists created excellent pieces of art.
“Drawing a person’s face is really hard. I thought the students did an amazing job, and I’m very proud of them,” Mr. Hoffman noted.
Mr. Daniel Otto, SHS Principal, got the chance to visit the classroom when some art students were working on the project.
“Watching our students create these portraits has been exciting,” Mr. Otto said. “They weren’t just sketching faces — they were looking closely at the people who teach and care for them every day, and putting that appreciation into art. It shows a level of respect, empathy, and joy that makes me incredibly proud of both our students and our staff.”
“Watching students translate personality into portraiture was inspiring. They weren’t just drawing faces — they were capturing energy, quirks, and stories. That’s the heart of real art,” Grueser shared.