OCALA, Fla. — A Marion County teacher is brightening the lives of her students, one brush stroke at a time.
- Karla Cavalier brings a little color into students' lives
- She went from interior designer to art teacher
- See more in our A+ Teachers section
Karla Cavalier teaches art at Shady Hill Elementary School in Ocala.
On this day, her young artists are taking an adventure using color to craft their masterpieces.
One by one the young students slip on their aprons, grab a piece of paper, a palette and their paint.
Cavalier was just recently named Marion County Teacher of the Year but her future at one point did not seem so bright.
She says, "Well I was an interior designer up in Atlanta doing hotels up until the economy crashed."
Cavalier was a mother. She started volunteering as a children's leader of a community Bible study.
She says, "It brought so much joy into my life at such a sad time."
It is a life lesson she brings to her classroom by encouraging her students to take risks without fear of failing.
"It's chaotic sometimes. It's messy. This is exactly what an artist's paint palette looks like," Cavalier adds.
At the end of class, it is show and tell time. Cavalier says she is amazed at what the kids can create.
"Sometimes I'm absolutely blown away," she says.
