How has teaching virtually been so far? What have been some challenges? How did you overcome them?

It’s been hard. It’s been really hard! I worked hard during the spring to make sure that I could use Zoom and use Schoology so that a student could understand my classroom. I’ve tried to be more interactive and make sure that things are clearly dated on the calendar. I feel like every time I turned around there was a new way of doing something - like okay, we’re going to do remote, and now we’re going to do half days, and we had all those schedule changes - and then going to remote to hybrid is really weird. I feel like I’m screaming into my microphone because I’m talking to the kids in my class, but if I don’t have my headphones in, then I feel like you can’t hear me. So I’m like - at least people in the Zoom world can mute me or make me really quiet if I’m too loud! I want to make sure that I’m talking to everybody. It’s new, so I’m just trying to get used to a different format. If you don’t learn how to laugh at yourself, then it doesn’t make any sense! Have a really good sense of humor!

What do you miss most about the normal school year?

I miss seeing all the kids, in person, interacting with each other. And I miss my tables! We had to change from the big tables to school desks and every person is individualized so I really miss people interacting with each other.

What can/do students do that make the virtual experience better for you?

When they say goodbye to me at the end of the class period! I like when they draw on my screen when we do activities, I like when they show their videos so I can see them, or even if they have their background as something other than their name - that’s always fun!

What’s your favorite part about teaching?

I love being able to see people understand the material and get better. Seeing them grow over the years is the best present I could ever get.

When did you know you wanted to become a teacher?

When I was in 8th grade, I got a job at Dutch Wonderland. I got to do all the rides and the costumes, and when I got my driver’s license I could work on the monorail and the choo choo train and all that stuff, and that was fun. So I’m sitting in art class, and I took art class from 9th grade through 12th grade, and we had a very small school so it was the same group all the way through. So in my junior year, I’m sitting in art class and I just had this epiphany, and I’m like - you know what? I like art and I like people. I could be an art teacher! And that was it! I applied to one school, and I got in, and I knew I wanted to teach high school art - studio art and graphic design. And that’s what I’m doing and this is my 25th year doing it.

What’s your teaching philosophy?

I want to teach at a level that is high enough so that every type of student can be equally challenged, but also know that I’m there every step of the way to make sure that they can understand the material and that they’re not in it alone.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

If I didn’t go into teaching, I would want to renovate motorhomes and RVs. I love designing for small spaces. My students know I can write backward and upside down!

What’s your biggest advice to high school students?

Try and learn a lot of things, be open, and be available to fail. That’s why I always use my analogy - whenever you get stuck, imagine Mrs. Duli trying to play football for the first time. It’s not going to be pretty, but after a while, I may learn to run away from people! So just keep trying your best and after a while, you may end up finding something that connects to what you’re doing. If you don’t know what your path is, then instead of looking at the college, look at what you do like and where you want to be.

What’s your most memorable experience teaching?

I remember coming to East from teaching at Coatesville for 7 years, and I had this beautiful room at Coatesville with this beautiful window, and then I came to East and they had just started renovating. The room I was in was filled with stuff because they had unloaded one of the storage rooms and there were piles all over the art tables. And I was like oh my gosh, I left a beautiful room to come to these rooms - which ended up getting demolished because they were redoing the school. But on top of one of the piles was an article that my dad had written for the Daily Local News, and it was about West Chester East’s first football win - and Mrs. Carozza’s brothers had played in the game. So I saw that on top of this pile and I’m like, wow, I guess this is where I belong. And I still have the article in my room.

What’s your favorite movie/TV show?

Favorite movie - The Princess Bride. My husband and I watch it every year on our anniversary. And my favorite TV show - I don’t know, probably Psych. It’s hilarious.

Who’s your favorite artist?

René Magritte. He’s the one who painted the picture of the pipe and it says in French underneath, “this is not a pipe.”

What’s your favorite project to teach?

The figure drawing project that we’re doing next in studio art 2! Learning how to draw people, I think, is very interesting. The kids get a lot out of it and I see a lot of growth in their work.

What type of music do you enjoy listening to?

Not hard rock like Mr. Niedziejko! Although some of it I do enjoy. I like pop or alternative stuff, old stuff - classic 80’s alternative rock.

What’s your favorite art medium?

It depends on the day. Sometimes I love painting, and sometimes I love drawing. So it’s either acrylic painting, drawing with a pencil, or working with Adobe Illustrator.