Top Teachers
Saturday, September 13, 1997
Name: Catherine "Kitty" Yee
Age: 49
Position: Teacher, Waihee Elementary
Education: University of Hawaii-Manoa
Pastimes: Reading, listening to music
A kindergartner acted out his feelings about his father's departure from home by disrupting classes. But the boy's behavior changed during art work. The art of teaching art
"When it's art time, he's able to sit and follow directions and do the activity with such joy," said Catherine "Kitty" Yee, a resource teacher at Waihee School on Maui. "He told his teacher when he grows up, he wants to be an art teacher.
"Being able to reach him in this mode is exciting because he hasn't succeeded in other ways."
Principal Larry Joyo describes Yee as a "lifelong learner" who works hard to improve the arts program.
Yee recently was recognized with eight other Maui teachers for completing a 32-hour course at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Joyo said Yee has helped to submit students' artwork in competitions. One student's work was selected for an international award from 280,000 entries.
As Yee moves from classroom to classroom working with students and teachers, she focuses on the process of creating art rather than the product.
She teaches the concepts of line, color and texture in painting, and mixing colors to create secondary and tertiary colors. "It's just amazing how many children are so excited in art class and how art touches their lives," Yee said.
Gary Kubota, Star-Bulletin
