For nearly two decades, Mr. Eschauzier, more commonly known as “Mr. E-Show” by students, has been a crucial member of the Hingham High School staff, teaching the graphic design and photography classes and this year beginning to teach drawing and painting classes. Always engendering a lively spirit in whichever class he teaches, Mr. E-Show approaches his job with a comprehensive knowledge of the subject. The numerous superhero posters across Mr. E-Show’s room are able to add a sense of personality to his classroom. “I like my classroom to look fun and inviting, rather than sterile and boring,” he says. Along with being a fan of comic books, Mr. E-Show also loves Star Wars, continuing to watch everything that comes out of the franchise. He is also a big fan of the bands Rush and The Beatles, even naming cameras and tripods in his classroom after specific albums and band members.
Mr. E-Show’s interest in art began in high school when he and his twin brother were first inspired to draw superheroes from reading comic books, an influence clearly displayed in the posters of the graphic design and photography room. When choosing what to pursue as a career path in college, Mr. E-Show and his brother decided that they wanted to pursue an art related career, so when attending Connecticut college, they both studied studio art. During his college years Mr. E-Show was a student leader and became very involved in student government. Towards the latter half of their college career, graphic design in computers became more prevalent in the art space and Mr. E-Show was able to take a computer class that helped hone his photoshop and digital graphic design skills.
After graduating from Connecticut College with a bachelor’s degree in fine and studio arts, Mr. E-Show went on to work for Marian Heath Greeting Cards in Wareham, Massachusetts. He would digitally create designs for cards and prepare them for printing. During his time at Marian Heath, he became familiar with the digital art process and went on to design the company catalogs. He would then go on to work for Wesleyan University where he worked in the publication office and the alumni office. While working for the university, Mr. E-Show was reminded of his time as a student leader and truly came to appreciate working with the students there, which spurred a desire in him to combine his love of working with students and art by becoming a high school art teacher.
Mr. E-Show received his master’s degree in art education at Tufts in 2005. He first student taught in Newton and then taught regular art classes at the Hanover Middle School, but when the photography and graphic design job opened at Hingham High School he quickly jumped at the opportunity to teach one of the subjects, he was most interested in. “I wasn’t as familiar with photography as you might think,” Mr. E-Show says. “They had darkroom photography when I first started here and I had never worked in a darkroom, so I kind of figured that out with the help of some students, and I’ve been here ever since.”
While he admits that the electives he teaches are challenging, Mr. E-Show likes the idea that in his class “Kids can kind of walk through and have a sigh of relief,” he says. He hopes that his classroom is able to offer a break from the constant barrage of notes and tests that students take for the rest of their day and focus on a different type of learning. Junior Craig Doan, currently enrolled in Mr. E-Show’s photography class, said, “Mr. E-Show is a really great teacher and creates a positive learning environment.” Sophomore Michael Catalfano, also taking photography this semester, said, “Whenever I come into Mr. E-Show’s classroom, I always love getting to do my work and feel supported by the teacher.”
When asked what he enjoys the most about his job, Mr. E-Show answered, “Seeing students get better, and feeling like the students who are really trying, and listening to what I have to say about their work, and seeing their work grow.” Getting to see kids constantly checking out cameras in the afternoon and bringing them back in the morning is a particular example of student growth that Mr. E-Show finds very rewarding as a teacher. Even though Mr. E-Show finds that his photography classes’ typically larger size helps students build better work, he cannot help but prefer graphic design. “I come from a graphic design background, so it’s hard for me not to say that I like teaching the graphic design II class, specifically as the one that I love to teach,” he says. “It’s for a lot of logistical reasons, I would love to say that it’s Graphic Design and Photography III, but that’s this elite class for seniors when they get there.” Despite his love for graphic design, Mr. E-Show admits that the photography classes are the most historically successful at the high school and have garnered the most awards for his students.
Having begun to teach the drawing and painting classes this year, Mr. E-Show hopes to curate those classes to his own way of teaching as he has with photography and graphic design. Mr. E-Show remains a pillar of the Hingham High School community and remains one of the most helpful, compassionate, and encouraging teachers in the building.
