Deb May leaves after 30 years of art instruction

Deb May is one of three District Two teachers to retire at the end of this school year.

May was born in Powell and spent all her growing up years there, graduating from Powell High School. She attended Northwest College for two years with art, music and rodeo scholarships, and participated on the rodeo team. 

She continued her education at the University of Wyoming on a rodeo scholarship, earning a B.A. in education, K-12 Art. May was assigned to Lovell High School to do her student teaching under Frank Somer. The art program was set up for half days each at the high school and middle school. The school district wanted to offer more art classes at the high school level the next year, just as she was completing her student teaching. 

She was offered a part-time position in 1990. An alternative school was opened that year, and May was offered a part-time position there, also. It only ran for one year, so she worked part-time in the high school until Somer retired, which made the art teacher position full-time. 

“Just three years ago the education system experienced financial cutbacks, which caused me to return to the part-time high school, part-time middle school situation. It was the best of both worlds,” May said.

May has watched many students’ art skills blossom in her 30 years of teaching.

“It’s fun watching kids start in beginning art and see them grow over the years, but I get a lot of joy being able to see their pleasure in their progress. I’ve had kids bring a picture they did when they started art class and compare it to one of their more recent works and be amazed at the growth they’ve made. Some didn’t think they had artistic ability and ended up taking art all four years. I can see how it has built their confidence,” she related. 

Even though May has greatly enjoyed her students, there were three that stood out.

“I got to teach all three of my own children. That was awesome,” she said.

May said the most rewarding part of teaching is hearing the students say they wish she weren’t leaving.

“A lot of her students coming out of eighth grade into high school have said they still want me as their teacher and wish I wasn’t leaving. It’s nice when you hear things like that rather than, ‘I’m sure glad she’s gone,’” she noted. “It’s rewarding to know students want you to teach them.”

There are two areas that May has probably emphasized a little heavier in her teaching because they are her favorite.

“I love drawing. A lot of people think they can’t draw,” she said. “You hear them say, ‘I can’t draw stickmen.’ I know steps of teaching the basic skills of drawing that anyone can learn. You will use drawing in every medium. Drawing is key. Painting, however, is my forte. I enjoy acrylic, water color, oil, pastels, all of them. My favorite thing I’ve done is a pastel I gave to my husband that hangs in our home.”

Frank Somer’s practical jokes remain among her fondest memories, she said. “He’d leave a plastic spider in my grade book or leave one hanging in the doorway of my classroom. He played a lot of tricks on me, all out of fun.”

Coming from a family of teachers, the end of May’s teaching career has been somewhat disappointing with the restrictions from the coronavirus in place.

“We have a very big family with all of us, extended family included, and a lot of us are teachers. I think it just comes natural for us. It is sad how school has ended this year. We had school on Friday one week, and the decision was made over the weekend that we couldn’t come back. There’s been no closure with the kids. This wasn’t how I expected my last few weeks of teaching to be,” she said.

But May is looking ahead. She is not going to stop, she is just “changing occupations,” she said. She plans on helping her daughter in her new flower shop and getting to work on  creating new epoxy counter tops for people’s homes. Certainly not least on her list is spending a lot of time on a horse in the mountains, where she loves to be.