About Me
Hi! I'm Ms. DJ
My name is actually Carole Drummond-Johnson, but your scholars refer to me as Ms. DJ. I am extremely excited to be joining Highland Renaissance.. This year's art experience will be exciting, engaging and fun, but first let me tell you a bit about who I am.
WHO AM I
I have been teaching art in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system for about fifteen years, but have been teaching for over twenty. In addition to teaching in CMS, I also taught youth at Community School of the Arts (now known as Arts Plus) as well as adults online with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I am mom to two wonderful boys — one a graduate of East Carolina University, and one a junior at West Virginia University. In my spare time I love to create my own artwork and spend time with my dog and "framily" (friends and family). My art varies, but I mostly love creating abstract mixed media paintings and designing.
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
I spent my high school years in the public school system having graduated from Olympic Senior High School here in Charlotte. Prior to public school, I spent my childhood years in private schools. I hold a Bachelor of Creative Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. I also completed training for teaching International Baccalaureate art (also known as the IB Programme) to high school students and received K-12 Visual Art certification through the graduate certification program at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.
WHAT I WAS LIKE AS A CHILD
I was a mini artist! From my earliest memories, being creative has always been a part of my life. Each morning while I ate breakfast, my mom would do my hair
and I would color in coloring books. The schools I attended early on didn't have art as part of the core learning experience so my parents enrolled me in art lessons after school at Spirit Square. Going to those classes were my most favorite part of the day. My art teacher had no idea how much she inspired me. Looking back, she exposed me to everything creative and never doubted that I can do it. She is now my daily inspiration when it comes to teaching children.