“I started doing art when I was 3… and haven’t stopped since.” 

This year, Jenny Schaljo joined the TuHS community as a new art teacher. 

Her love of art followed her through high school, where she took many art classes, and into teaching art at summer camps on the East Coast. Schaljo went to college at the University of Oregon, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in fine arts, with a focus in printmaking and painting.

Her professional career began at Yamhill Carlton School District teaching fourth through twelfth graders. Schaljo was the only art teacher there and had classrooms in both the high school and middle school buildings. While working in the small district, she found herself seeking the collaboration of a team. 

“After 11 years of teaching solo… I wanted to have a team of art teachers to work with.”

Schaljo is glad to have found that environment at TuHs. Now, she teaches Smart Art, Painting 1, Painting Studio and Drawing 1. Although she has practiced and taught almost every type of art, she particularly loves digital art, ceramics and painting. She shared her love of getting to know her students, which is her favorite aspect of being a teacher. She enjoys finding content and teaching strategies that engage the particular learners in her classroom. 

“There is something special that happens when a student that doubts their skill realizes that they are actually an artist, and they can express themselves visually.”