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Elective Highlight: Peer-to-Peer Creative Expression

Last semester, I took Peer-to-Peer Creative Expression. It was an art class with Mrs. Vayanos, where older students
worked with peers from the Mr. Zebrasky’s special education class to express themselves creatively and build artistic
skills. 
The class pulled a variety of mediums for the projects, and weeks were “themed.” For instance, one week was themed with leaves, and for a project we went outside and collected leaves for leaf rubbings. We also cut large leaves out of watercolor paper and used watercolors to paint them. Occasionally, the class would set up scavenger hunts around the school, so that week we went around and collected paper leaves. At the end, we went downstairs to Mr. Z’s showcase and pinned the leaves to a paper tree.
As 3-dimensional projects were popular, we also borrowed projects from different classes. We spent a few weeks using clay to make the themed mugs from the Creativity and Innovation curriculum, which sparked a common interest in clay for the class. We also made the cardboard letters from Ceramics and Sculpture, using a collage method to decorate them.
Ceramics were popular in the class, with some students branching off to make their own clay projects, such as action figures. We also used clay near the end of the semester to make snow globes. We bought bases and globes, then used clay to build a scene inside before filling them with water and glitter. 
    The final projects were tailored to everyone’s interests, although books from the Crafts class were a common choice. Students designed pages and covers, before binding them together to build a book.
Peer-to-Peer Creative Expression was a class like no other, where we pulled different skills and interests and combined them to create a creatively stimulating environment. It was admirable how Mrs. Vayanos adapted the class day-to-day in an effort to fulfill such a broad variety of interests. Each day brought new ideas and new experiences, making it a class I thoroughly enjoyed and that everyone seemed to look forward to. As we get closer to scheduling for next year, I would definitely recommend Peer-to-Peer Creative Expression if you’re looking for an elective to take.
Grey August Perino, Junior
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