French teacher Stéphanie Perrais can’t remember a time when she didn’t think of herself as an artist.
As a young child, she says, “I would always draw; I also wrote a lot — I had a collection of poems and several novels. My father had a clothes-cutting business and I learned how to do that and sew.”
As she got older, Stéphanie was drawn to photography and begged her parents for a DSLR camera. She imagined becoming a photojournalist traveling around the globe to cover world conflicts. Her uncle taught her how to develop and process film; she even set up a darkroom at home.
Since then, she has consistently integrated art into her life — and into her classroom.
I believe that teaching is an art in itself — it requires a lot of creativity and energy, along with a certain sensitivity. For me, it is another outlet and expression of my artistic nature.
While she doesn’t share her work with her students, she does share the objects of her artistic ventures and the process; she also encourages her students to seek art and exploration of nature as soothing and healing acts.
“I try to remind students that there is a world outside of our human bubble where they can find connections and experience joy and beauty,” Stéphanie explains. “I like to point out migrations - like when the snow geese come to Middle Creek Wildlife Management, or when the monarchs embark on their 3,000 mile journey and can be spotted locally or in Cape May, NJ. I encourage my students to see and feel part of their environment.”
And because the IB diploma focuses on current events and the state of the world, Stéphanie discusses what she sees as a birder — changes in bird populations and the destruction or pollution of bird habitats. “These issues go beyond art or hobbies,” Stéphanie says. “They are very real and urgent, and match what the IB diploma is trying to do — to bring awareness to students and encourage them to be part of the solution.”
Of course, teaching — especially in the IB diploma program — can be quite demanding, but Stéphanie tends to lean into busyness and chaos. “I try not to see my commitments in competition with one another,” she explains. “Art, teaching, parenting middle-schoolers, managing a mini-homestead — these are the busiest years of my life, but I still try to appreciate that there is a season for everything. I get a lot of joy from teaching.”
Recently, Stéphanie's work was part of the exhibit French Essence — A Showcase of Artistic Excellence at the Alliance Française de Philadelphie. Curated by the artist Annabel Perrigueur, this showcase featured eight renowned Francophone artists and has a mission to "deepen the dialogue and cultural connections between French and American creative communities."
While this wasn’t Stéphanie's first exhibit, it is not something she chooses to do often. “I find it hard to put myself out there,” she says, “especially because the joy I get from my art is as much in the process as in the result — and in many ways it feels very private. But it is wonderful to meet and be inspired by other artists and their works, to showcase the beauty I see around us, and to have an opportunity to raise awareness and advocate for wildlife and environmental issues.”
Stéphanie's high level of energy feeds the joy she finds in wearing multiple hats; and while it can be frustrating when she can’t do everything she’d like, she’s okay with that.
“Art can be small and quick. And sometimes it’s good to let things ripen in idleness,” she reflects. “I try to still see the seasons pass, the birds make their nests, and the small details of life that bring me joy and nourish my art.”