Lessons Beyond Art
Going into this class, I honestly did not know what to expect. I have not taken an art class in years, so I thought it would mostly just be small creative projects and activities. But throughout the semester, I realized this class was way deeper than I expected. It was not just about art itself, but about storytelling, culture, emotions, and talking about real issues through creativity.
One thing that really stood out to me was our lesson plan project. My partner and I created a lesson for younger students where we picked a topic from many of the ones we learned about throughout the semester like immigration, bullying, incarceration, and identity and turned them into something creative and engaging for kids. Instead of just teaching through lectures, we wanted students to express themselves through art and activities. I honestly liked this project a lot because it felt like real teaching experience and showed how art can make difficult topics easier for younger students to understand.
Another thing that really impacted me was hearing my professor talk about her experiences at the Mexican border. Listening to her stories honestly stayed with me even after class ended. I feel like a lot of people hear about immigration online or on the news, but they do not really understand how dangerous and emotional those situations actually are for real people. Hearing about my professor putting herself in those situations and witnessing everything firsthand really touched me and opened my eyes more to the reality of it all.
The conversations we had about incarceration also really stood out to me, especially when my professor shared experiences from working at Rikers Island. I liked that this class allowed people to openly share their thoughts and perspectives because it made discussions feel real and meaningful instead of just something from a textbook. You could tell people genuinely cared about the topics we talked about.
Overall, this class changed the way I view arts education. Before this semester, I mostly thought art classes were just about being creative, but now I see how art can also educate people, tell stories, and start conversations about important issues. This class honestly opened my mind a lot and made me appreciate how powerful creativity can be in education.
Before ending this post, I really just want to thank Professor Marissa Gutierrez. She was more than just a professor teaching about art. You could genuinely feel how passionate she is about what she does every class. The way she spoke about art, her experiences, and the people she met throughout her journey really opened my eyes to perspectives I never really thought deeply about before. She also created a classroom where students felt comfortable sharing their own thoughts and experiences without judgment, which honestly made the class feel very personal and meaningful.
You can tell she truly cares about her students and about the impact art can have on people. Hearing her stories, seeing her own artwork, and learning from someone so passionate made this class something I will genuinely remember long after the semester ends. I personally am not studying art education in school, but I still found myself connecting deeply with a lot of the lessons and conversations we had throughout the semester. Even outside of art education, I want to carry many of the things we learned in this class into my own future career and interactions with students. I think this class taught me the importance of understanding people’s stories, perspectives, and experiences rather than just teaching information. I am really grateful I got to experience this class and learn from such an understanding and inspiring professor. Thank you Professor Gutierrez. You will always be an inspiration for how I hope to teach students about art and creativity in the future.🩷✨
With love,
Eva Atwa Spring 2026
