Teaching, Art, and Legacy:
One Student’s Journey to MFAH Leadership
By Brady King, TJS Middle School English Teacher
Brady King
In 2005, I had the pleasure of teaching Alexandria (Alex) in my eighth-grade English Language Arts class at The Joy School.
At the time, TJS had only graduated one class of eighth graders, so Alex and her peers were part of a pioneering group.
Like many TJS students, Alex was diagnosed with dyslexia, but she approached every challenge with determination and grace. She was a sweet and hardworking student who quickly embraced the innovative assistive tools available to her—tools that were just emerging in education. With word prediction software, audio feedback, and early dictation programs, Alex not only managed her reading and writing tasks but excelled at them, consistently impressing her teachers.
One assignment from that year stands out: a research paper on impressionism. I believe it was around this time that I began the tradition of assigning an art-related research paper in the spring semester—a tradition I’ve continued ever since. Alex's passion for the topic shone through, and her work was exceptional. To bring the subject to life, I organized a field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH), where the students could see impressionist works up close.
TJS Alumna, 2005, Alexandria received her Master of Fine Arts in Arts Leadership from Seattle University in May 2016.
Years later, Alex reached out to share how her time at TJS, particularly her experiences with art, had inspired her career path. Today, she works at the very same museum as their Volunteer Services and Organization Engagement Manager! In fact, Alexandria became the first TJS alum to earn a graduate degree, completing her Master of Fine Arts in Arts Leadership from Seattle University.
This year, I assigned the same research paper on impressionism to my sixth-grade class and, as in the past, arranged a field trip to the MFAH. But this time, there was a special twist—our docent was none other than Alex herself! Watching her lead the students was an unforgettable experience. Alex didn’t just lecture; she engaged the students with thoughtful questions, encouraging them to connect emotionally with the art and reflect on how impressionism paved the way for modern artistic movements. The students were captivated, just as I had been so many years ago.
English teacher Brady King proudly stands with former student Alex, now a docent at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
Seeing Alex in this role, guiding a new generation of students, was a full-circle moment for me as a teacher. It’s incredible to think that a seed planted nineteen years ago has flourished into something so meaningful, now inspiring and educating others. These kinds of experiences fill me with excitement as I think about the seeds being sown in my classroom today and what they might grow into in the years ahead.
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