Spunky Spatig

Shantel Spatig, one of the newest additions to the DaVinci family, teaches math to eighth and ninth graders.

“I saw a math position open at an art school and I love math and art so that is why I chose to work here and I am glad I did.” Although she hasn’t worked here long enough, she does wish that the classes were a little bit longer.

Spatig enjoys drawing, painting, running, hiking, soccer, ultimate frisbee, country swing dancing, and the outdoors.

Here at DaVinci, Spatig would be an art student despite being a math teacher. She’s not a fan of science, but she does “love to draw and paint.” “I also like the theater. I like to dance so I would say an art student.”

Spatig became a teacher because she was inspired by her own. “When I was in junior high and high school, I decided I wanted to help people, and I watched as all my teachers made a difference in who I could become and I wanted to do that for others. I have always been really good at math and so I set out to be a teacher.” Her professor, Jim Cangelosi, is the head of inspiration. “He is the math teacher I want to be one day.”

However, teaching wasn’t always so easy for her. Her first year was the hardest time of her life, but it taught her a lot about what kind of teacher she wants to be.

Spatig offers some advice to students. “You can do anything you put your mind to and never take anything for granted. Learning is a joy. When school is done, you will have wished you took more time to learn.”