GREAT FALLS — Last week, we reported on Derek Hisaw, a finalist in the "America’s Favorite Student" competiton. Well, his art teacher Kelly Pisano, is making headlines of her own—she’s currently ranked first in the "America’s Favorite Teacher" competition.
Pisano is one of just three elementary art teachers in Great Falls, rotating between Whittier, Sacajawea, Loy, Sunnyside, and Riverview schools. She teaches around 2,100 students every three weeks. “I teach at five elementaries, so I see around twenty-one hundred students in three weeks. That's a lot. It's crazy, but it's rewarding,” Pisano said.
Despite limited resources, Pisano goes above and beyond for her students—often spending her own time and energy making sure every art project gets the attention it deserves.
Her journey to teaching wasn’t always easy. “I was working at, kind of like a nursing home, and I was always drawing. I always loved art, and (my friend) Carla Mae said, you know, you should go into teaching or go into something. And I was like, oh, I don't think I can,” Pisano recalled.
With encouragement from a friend and confidence in herself, Pisano went to college, earned her degree, and started teaching in 2001.
Today, she inspires thousands of students each year not just to create, but to gain confidence and resilience.
“In the art room it's more than creating, you know, something beautiful. They're creating confidence. They are stepping outside their comfort zone. I'm teaching them resilience. It's okay that mistakes are part of the process,” she explained.
Winning the America’s Favorite Teacher competition would mean more than national recognition—it could be transformative for her classroom and her students.
“The grand prize is Bill Nye the Science Guy, which would be totally amazing and, $25,000, which would be perfect because, to get some different supplies for, you know, my art room,” Pisano said.
Voting for Group Finalists ends Thursday, April 23rd at 8 p.m.
For more information, or to vote for Pisano, click this link.
