Finding Minnesota: Meet Melrose's Caricature-Creating Teacher

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- High school seniors from across the state will soon be graduating and heading out into the real world.

But before they do, some grads in Melrose are getting a special and creative gift from a retired teacher named Jim Ploof.

"It's people who say, 'I wish I knew how to do that,'" Ploof said. "You tell them, 'You can do this. You can do this.'"

Those four words were Ploof's go-to words during his 34 years as a Melrose teacher and coach.

"Most of what you do doesn't turn out. But that's okay. You don't make every shot on the basketball floor or make every 20-foot putt either," he said.

When Ploof retired as an art teacher, it only meant he had more time to create art; from self-portraits to paintings. But those are just a sketch compared to what's now on display at the school library.

"I call them porcatures or caricatraits," Ploof said.

He officially retired 12 years ago, but continued to sub for other Melrose teachers. It was then that he began messing around a little bit more with caricatures.

"Everyone has two eyes, two ears, a nose and a mouth for the most part. And then as you get to individuals, it's what stands out is it the chin, the cheekbones, the ears or a hairdo," he said.

When he started, he did about 20 caricatures for seniors and hung them up on the library wall.

"I just smiled at it and said, 'Yep, that's pretty close,'" said senior Trisha Thom.

The next year, more students asked for one, and even more the year after that. So far this year, he's done about a 120.

"Now that I look at it, it kind of looks like me," said senior Kendra Moening.

Ploof calls them "controlled scribbles."

"I think it's really sweet of him and it takes a lot of time that he probably doesn't have but he does it anyway," said senior Rebecca Ambriz.

It takes him about 10 minutes of his free time to do one. Of course, as an old golf coach, he'll take a mulligan and start over if he doesn't like the way it's turning out.

"I look for three or four things that make that person different from everyone else and see what happens. If it doesn't turn out, you blame it on the pencil," Ploof said.

It is skill -- coupled with attention to detail and a sense of humor -- that have Melrose seniors looking forward to this graduation tradition each year.

But mostly, this is about giving back; letting the students know he truly appreciates them. This is a gift that's as much for Ploof as it is for the students.

"This place is pretty special to me. I have some kind of Melrose High Schoolitis or whatever. I just kind of need to be here. It's a good place," Ploof said.

Students say the tradition is often to frame the caricatures and put them on display at graduation parties.