contact Mr. Bazzi at bazzim@dearbornschools.org
I am happy to be a public school teacher, and I’m especially proud to be a member of the Dearborn Schools Art Department. My occupation as an art teacher is not just a job; it is a love for creative activity, and a passion for sharing in the experience of learning. Working with students to nurture their artistic growth brings me personal fulfillment.
The artistic process logically overlaps with countless math and science concepts, and art is a direct bridge to understanding history, civilizations and cultures. Drawing comes naturally to people, because it was the first language of documentation for human beings. The arts provide growing minds with a sense of one’s self, and a connection to one’s community and the broader world. Art can bring us back to the natural world, and can remind us of our original nature. Art gives us the opportunity to engage in the creative process, to consider the free flow of ideas, and to discover the gifts that come from contemplation. Some of these gifts include a greater understanding of our place in the universe, and a greater empathy for our human family.
My teaching philosophy is founded on the idea that anyone, regardless of age or previous experience, can learn new and remarkable things every day of their lives. Learning to draw and design are skills that anyone can have, if they want to put effort into practicing and exploring.
Understanding a student’s capabilities allows me to guide them in exploring their personal voice and unique expression. I value both traditional and new media, and I engage my students in discussions about art history, images, and the lessons we can learn from them.
I have been an art & design teacher in the Dearborn Public Schools since the year 2000. For most of those years I taught at Fordson High School, and I spent a few years in between at Michael Berry Career Center, STEM Middle School and ACE Middle School. I have taught classes in introductory art, drawing & painting, illustration, graphic design, advertising, communication, sculpture design, product design, 3D modeling, and Advanced Placement art.
I love to draw, paint and write, and have exhibited my paintings in many galleries, and collaborated with students as well as professional artists on many public art projects. One of the projects that I co-direct is the POP Design Team, a group of high school students from various high schools who meet every week, for a year, to design and create a large work of public art in the City of Dearborn. There have been three different POP Design Teams since 2011, and the third team has just completed their sculpture.
Growing up, I attended Notre Dame de la Paix in Beirut, McDonald Elementary School, Lowrey Middle School, and Fordson High School. I took some architecture classes at Lawrence Technological University, and studied Painting, Poetry and Art Education at Wayne State University. My wife and I are mother and father to three wonderful children.
Thank you for taking the time to read Mr. Bazzi’s page!