When Michael Chabot attended a 4th of July parade in the summer of 2017, he was drawn to a school with beautiful banners, smiling children and creative parents. That school was Four Corners Montessori Academy where he has been the art teacher for the past two years.
“It was like they had ownership and pride that resonated from their body language to their excitement of representing Four Corners,” Michael Chabot said. “It was impactful.”
Michael is now in his second year teaching at Four Corners Montessori Academy and enjoys the daily impact that he can have on students through art.
“I feel that teaching is a calling and I’m fulfilling that call. I get to use my gifts as an artist and teach kids. It is an honor to be able to impact lives through education,” Chabot commented.
As a child, Michael was homeschooled and valued the individualized attention he received.
“Education should be tailored to each child so that they can learn at their pace,” Chabot said.
Chabot believes that Four Corners Montessori Academy is the best fit for his teaching style because the philosophy aligns directly with individual student learning. Not all students learn the same way and Montessori is intentional with meeting the student where they are at and educating the whole child.
“In my specialty of art education, I allow students to express themselves in ways that align with where they are at and how they are doing,” Chabot said. “I love that I can have an influence on their lives through art.”
Chabot goes above and beyond just your traditional art class. He is intentional in his teaching style. He often looks over the school’s curriculum of what is happening in other classes and incorporates that into art.
Most recently one of his classes worked on submitting artwork into a contest, and one of his students was awarded a pretty prestigious award.
Chabot is also an independent artist. His specialty is in illustration. To fulfill some of his big dreams, he created an adult coloring book that currently sells on Amazon. He is glad that he still has time and personal space to connect through his art.
To Chabot, “Art is a way to express a part of yourself that you couldn’t necessarily do otherwise.”
Great leadership creates great leaders. Stacy Byrd, the Head of School at Four Corners Montessori Academy, exemplifies that and Chabot has learned a lot from her. She allows him to be independent and creative and that is what keeps him there.
“Michael understands that it is about the process and not the product; therefore, he allows students to freely use their creativity and explore all the possibilities art has to offer,” said Byrd.
Dr. Maria Montessori said, “We cannot teach a person to be an artist, but we can help him develop an eye that sees a hand that obeys, and a soul that feels.”
“It is wonderful to observe this firsthand and to see the inner joy the students have while Michael is supporting them in the process of satisfying their creative urges” commented Byrd. “We feel fortunate to have him be a part of our team.”