Drumming and Teaching: A Look into the Early Life of Ms. Bernstein

You can find Ms. Bernstein on the 10th floor and immediately recognize her by her cool hair swoop. Her laugh is contagious, and whenever she talks, it’s hard not to pay attention. She always likes to have something to keep her busy. She’s very caring and passionate in the tasks she undertakes; whether it’s teaching Art Appreciation to her freshmen or 3D Art to her seniors, she really tries to be there for every student. Ms. Bernstein is a woman with a clear mind who only chooses to do things she knows she’ll love.

What was your early life like growing up?

I was born in Manhattan, moved to Westchester County as a baby and then moved back to the city when I was 16. I grew up in a very nice suburban small town with an excellent school district. This was my saving grace because I have very bad ADD. I had a hard time in school. I'm very lucky to have gone to such a good school and to have had parents who were highly educated with books stacked to the ceiling. Not everyone has that. I am very grateful for it.

What’s it like living with ADD and how do you control it?

I loved learning; I just had trouble proving that I learned. I had trouble with note-taking in class; it’s very hard for me to listen to what someone’s saying and write it down at the same time. I was also a perfectionist; I think my ADD caused some OCD, because I couldn’t control certain aspects of my brain, so I started to overcompensate with other parts of my brain and became obsessed with making sure things were arranged correctly and other stupid things, because I felt like I could control these things, so I’m gonna really control it. Over the years, I’ve had to let a lot of that go. I’m still a little OCD (ask my students), but I think that’s okay. You have to live life. You can’t let all these little things stop you from moving forward. If I don’t have time to clean my desk, I’m not gonna clean my desk. I’ve had to find all sorts of ways to compensate over the years, just find help where I need it, and work hard.

Did you have any special role model(s) that you looked up to growing up?

Well, I'm a drummer. I taught myself to drum around age six and on. I would say that I looked up to and learned a lot about drumming by watching MTV videos back when they played music. That's not to say that I looked up to them as humans (good or bad), just as drummers.

What are your hobbies? What do you like to do outside of teaching at Stuy?

Well, these days, I don’t have as much time or energy to do any of my hobbies. But, I like to play the drums. I’ve been playing since I was very little. I also like to play guitar a little bit, but I’m not very good at that. I actually put it down some time ago, and I’d like to pick it back up; that’s on my list of things to do. Playing the drums is also not easy when you live in New York City, but I try to do it whenever I can. I also like making things, of course, but it’s pretty hard during the school year. Over the summer is when I do most of my making. So, I bought like a little fixer-upper in the woods, and over the past five or so summers, I’ve been fixing it up. I'm at the point where there’s not that much more I can do, so I’m getting a little bored. I’ll figure something out though. I sanded and redid the floors, moved some walls, and did a whole bunch of stuff, which pretty much sums up what I do outside of Stuy.

Are you currently in a band, or were you earlier?

Uhh, I’m not currently in a band. Last time I was in a band was maybe five or six years ago. It was difficult with my hours, and I found that my bandmates weren’t that understanding about my work hours. I like to have a side project of some sort, but that one was just a bit much. I’ve kinda come to the realization that it’s pretty hard to be in a dedicated band and be a teacher at the same time! You know, maybe I’ll play with some friends here and there, but for now, no band for me.

What is Stuy Makes?

So, Stuy Makes is an Instagram I started this summer. For a long time, I’ve been wanting to try to get the word out about all the great things that students make here at the art or tech departments, or anywhere else really. So I thought, every kid here has an iPhone with Instagram on it, and you guys are looking at it constantly, so that would be a good platform for showcasing the art. So, I started Stuy Makes. I’ve been telling people a little bit about it, but not a whole lot, because I want to wait until I get a whole bunch of art up there for people to see. So far, I mostly put up art and technology projects. I also put up an English project; somebody did a graphic novel. I put up some of those Social Studies NHD Boards that I’ve seen students make. I’m really trying to get anything that students make here. I’m just trying to get the word out that you aren’t all test takers, are creative, do great things. I want the world to see that.

So you manage STC Tech. What’s so intriguing about it?

So I used to do tech crew. We didn't call it that, but I used to do that in high school. When I first got here, Rich Relmodo was the engineering teacher, and he ran STC, and I guess when he saw me he thought I’d be a good person to take over […] He showed me the ropes a little bit, and I’ve been doing it ever since. Also, there’s something special about theater kids; they’re different than any other. I enjoy watching them and the process. You know they’re also very creative, and I love the end result. At the end, when the show happens and everybody’s excited, it’s really priceless.

What makes art special to you?

I like that anyone can use art to express anything they wish to. It’s so full of possibilities.

Did anything make you gravitate towards art?

I mentioned earlier that I had ADD and had a lot of problems with learning, but I still loved it. I didn’t learn in, you know, the traditional way that the school is set up for. I wasn’t sure about going into academics, and I was always a creative person and liked making things. Actually, I was interested in theater technology at first, but then I decided that I was gonna go to art school instead. Once I started going to school for art, I realized I loved it, I loved school, and I wanted to be there. I think it’s really important that you study what you love and not just some job that makes you money. I believe that if you make a lot of money but you don’t love it, then you’re probably miserable deep down inside. Just do what you love, learn what you love, and the rest will follow.

Did you always want to be an art teacher and if so, why?

I never could have imagined that I would be a teacher. As I mentioned, I had a tough time in school. School was a stressful place for me. It wasn't until I went to art school that I started to enjoy school. It was there that I became a woodshop monitor where I would make sure the students were being safe and help them with problem-solving regarding their projects. This was when I started to think about teaching.

Why woodworking?

I was in fine arts, but my focus was woodworking and furniture. But I studied a lot of other things too. I studied printmaking, metalworking, drawing, etc. I enjoyed woodworking, because I like making things; I like designing things. There’s also just something so enticing about a woodshop. When you walk into it, it just has that great woodshop smell.

What advantages over other people in other professions does your career give you?

Well, the most obvious one is having summer off, but it's so much more than that. I think I deal with way more people than most others. And there are so many teenagers! So many of my students have such interesting backgrounds and perspectives on the world that are very different from my friends’ and mine. I love hearing these perspectives and learning about many different cultures.

How would you improve Stuy’s Arts Department?

Well, while we all enjoy teaching Art Appreciation, no one likes teaching it five times a day. If we had one more art teacher, we could have more art electives, which would be good for the teachers and the students. As for the Technology department, we need more modern tech. We have started improvements with the Innovation Center and the new 3D printers in 1001 which Mr. Contreras has been instrumental in getting. I would also like to modernize the robotics lab (which may be in the works) and the woodworking lab. I'm considering moving a 3D printer into that classroom so we can incorporate 3D printing into the woodworking class. I'm all about mixing old school and new school tech. I think only teaching the latest tech does our students a disservice. Not knowing the fundamentals is like having a handicap, and I would hate to see that happen to Stuy students.

What is your favorite topic to teach in Art Appreciation?

I love teaching drawing and Modern Art. The former, because anyone can improve at drawing if they’re taught well and try hard. People tend to think that if you’re not naturally gifted in art, you’re done for, and that’s just not true. I, personally, learned to draw. I can very clearly see the improvement from before I was taught to after. It can be pretty inspiring. As for Modern Art, I love the conversations that it evokes. Students get so passionate about their love or hate of it, and it really opens their eyes to a whole different world.

What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is all about hands-on learning. I find that students learn much better if they’re actively doing something. I think it’s important to know how to use your hands and have that hand-eye coordination. I’ve seen so many students here who are unable to do the simplest tasks, because they’ve only been on some type of electronic device their whole life.

Why choose to teach Art App. over a different art class (e.g. Painting)?

Well, we all have to teach Art App; we really have no choice, which is fine. We like teaching it. I don't teach painting, because I'm not a painter, and I think Ms. Karp and Dr. Barrow do an excellent job with the painting classes. I used to have a Mixed Media elective, but I gave it up in order to teach woodworking. Another class I choose to teach is 3D Art & Technology, which I developed last year.

How has your career as an art teacher shaped you?

It constantly opens my eyes to the world around me. I learn through my students all the time.

What is the best piece of advice anyone’s ever given you?

It’s hard to think of this when someone asks you, even if you’ve thought about it! It’s just a hard thing to conjure up. I know someone has said this to me sometime: I tend to care a lot, which I think is a good thing. But in this big system, in this Department of Education system, you can’t care too much, because you’ll drive yourself crazy. I know I’ve had conversations with teachers who have said not to take it too personally or too seriously. “Don’t drive yourself crazy”; I think that’s the quote there. Do what you can do, do your best, and there’s only so much you can do.