Many new teachers have been welcomed to GHS this year, one of them being involved in the art department. Helen Duncan, the new clayworks teacher, wants to teach her students ceramics and 3D, and to help them find their inner creativity.

“I would like to get to know my students well, and see what they need for learning and for themselves as a whole person,” said Duncan. “I would like to help my students find their voice as an artist and a designer.”

Duncan is originally from Ireland, specifically from the Midlands. She has always been very involved in the art culture. She went to college at Limerick of Art and Design, located in Ireland. When she traveled to the United States and to Massachusetts, she attended UMASS and recently studied at Boston University.

Before she became a clayworks teacher, she worked in many museums’ education departments and their special art programs. She worked with a group that set up art programs for at risk youths in Boston and towns located near Boston.

Duncan enjoys Thai food and watching the TV show “Project Runway.” She loves the sport rugby, and her favorite pastimes are creating art work and cooking.

When she attended college and worked in museums, she had made her decision to become a teacher. She realized how much she enjoyed it, and decided she wanted to pursue teaching as a career.

“When I was doing the programs in Boston, I realized it was more fun being with students,” said Duncan. “I never really planned on being a teacher. I just evolved into being a teacher.”