Paul Bonner, an art teacher and the wrestling coach for Manitou Springs High School, has been teaching for 30 years, and has been at MSHS for 13 years. As an art teacher, he teaches drawing, digital photo, and ceramics classes. He has been the MSHS wrestling coach for all thirteen years that he has been at the school and even helps with the middle school wrestling program.
Bonner loves art and sports and knew he wanted to pursue them from the very beginning of his career. “Originally, I knew I wanted to do something with art, and I went to college, and I did a double major. I majored in fine art, and then I majored in sports and exercise management with a minor in coaching,” Bonner said. “I was following my passions and kind of led me to what I do now: teaching, art and coaching.”
He loves art and he loved his art teachers that he had during his art classes in school. “I really enjoy the process of making art, I enjoy sharing my passion with others and I’ve had some pretty good art teachers along the way who influenced me as well; so part of me wants to pay it forward,” he said.
He also loves wrestling and the lessons that it teaches, as well as the wrestling community. “It was something that I enjoyed and had a passion for, I had good influences on me, and I always enjoyed it, I had good memories in my own wrestling career,” Bonner said. “It’s been really rewarding, I think in some aspects, more so than being a teacher, because we spend an infinitely greater amount of time with athletes than we do our students. I keep in touch with a lot of the kids who go on to college and compete, and for me, the wrestling team has become family.”
Ben Mack, a science teacher and soccer coach, has been at MSHS for 23 years and he has been able to know Bonner for all 13 years that he has been at the school. “We’ve known each other for 13 years, which is a long time, and we’re both coaches, so we talk a lot about different coaching strategies and just frustration sometimes,” Mack said. “We need another coach to listen to us vent and so, I would absolutely consider him a good friend here at work.”
Mack, having worked with Bonner for several years, has had the pleasure to see how he works and what he might do differently or well with his teaching and coaching methods. “He really celebrates his kids, and I think part of that is he’s got a small program and he feels like they don’t get a lot of spotlight and things like that, but he does a really good job of sharing with the staff and emailing the staff after every wrestling event and getting it announced,” Mack said. “I just think that’s super cool. It shows that he really cares about his kids and wants to make sure that they get recognition.”
Mack believes that Bonner has had a large impact on MSHS and will continue to as long as he works for the school. “There’s been some really, really cool artwork that I’ve seen around school, and when he does his art shows and stuff up there, I’m always blown away,” Mack said. “It’s like, wow, that’s so cool that you’re able to get that level of art out of some of these kids, which I just think is mind blowing, and super cool and super important. I think kids work hard for him. I think they can have fun with him, but also respect him.”
Madison Campbell is a senior at MSHS this year has had Bonner for all four years at MSHS, and she believes that Bonner is an amazing teacher. “He really cares about and pushes his students, but also tries to make an environment where they’re not stressed out. He tries to make it fun instead of stressful,” Campbell said. “He doesn’t push people into stressful situations, but he definitely pushes them to be better.”
Mack likes Bonner, sees him as a friend and loves that they don’t always have to be serious teachers all about business with each other. “One of my favorite things about Bonner is that he can be really silly, like me, and sometimes our jobs can be really stressful,” Mack said. “We get analyzed on that constantly, we’re responsible for everything, and so it’s really nice sometimes to have somebody just be able to play a prank on you, play a joke or banter back and forth, and Bonner is really good with that.”
Bonner believes that creating relationships with students is very important and wants to be able to do that. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know kids and see some of these kids grow up. I’ve seen some of these kids for six or seven years as athletes, even at the high school level, and I’ve taught some of these kids for four years. It’s kind of cool to think that we have a hand in molding the future,” Bonner said.
He also has strong values for coaching and teaching and wants others to take them to heart. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and that’s both in wrestling and art. Be willing to make mistakes. I think a lot of times we’re too hesitant, worried about what happens if we fail, instead of what happens if you succeed,” Bonner said.
As a teacher and a coach Bonner has had a very good thirty years overall and especially a good thirteen years at MSHS, and he thinks that teachers should be acknowledged more for all they do. “I think we have kind of lost the respect for teachers and educators in our country, and I think we need to take a moment and recognize them more,” Bonner said.
Vicki Bonner Ward • Apr 5, 2026 at 3:38 pm
Great job! I know your parents would be extremely proud of you!