Every time sophomore Stephanie Paniagua walked into the classroom it was there. Whenever she glanced at it, Paniagua couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. There, hanging in a math classroom of all places, were two drawings that Paniagua had made for her teacher, Nicholas Walker, which he displayed on the spacious whiteboard near his desk. This area was also home to other pieces of art that students had created, forming somewhat of a makeshift gallery– one that Paniagua would always be a part of.
It’s easy to assume that some of the only places containing student art in a school would be in the art classrooms or maybe even the hallways. However, this is not the case for all classrooms at East. Like with Walker, some teachers have displayed sculptures, paintings, and drawings made by students in order to show appreciation for their talent and build deeper relationships.
“I think it would be nice [if more student art was displayed] because it would inspire other people to do it too,” Paniagua said. “It would motivate them, because they might want their art on the wall too.”
Other East teachers, such as Robert Carraher, have also set aside room in their classrooms to display artwork gifted to them by students. In his classroom specifically, Carraher has an entire board set aside to hang drawings.
“When I got this room, I had all these boards and I didn’t know what I was going put up on all of them, so I said alright, we’re just gonna make one place where we can showcase student art,” Carraher said.
When students create art, they are not only indulging a hobby, but also fostering self improvement. For example, art teacher Trish Swoboda has spoken about how creating art encourages students to work hard, among many other benefits.
“[Creating art] lets students strengthen their problem solving skills and it’s important for teens to have the opportunity to express themselves,” Swoboda said.
The relationship between a student and teacher is also suggested to be strengthened when a teacher encourages a student’s passion. According to the Mental Health Foundation, cultivating relationships through support can help people feel as though they belong and help instill confidence within them.
“[Displaying student art] shows that you care about them; that you’re invested in them; that you value their creativity; that not everything has to be an assignment; that you can do things just to allow a creative outlet,” instructor David Bossman said. “And a lot of the artwork is weird and quirky and the weirder the better, I like that stuff.”
