Raised in Putnam City Schools, Crista Graham, an art teacher at Western Oaks Elementary, had no idea how quickly she would call her school home. Graham, who has taught art for four years, works with other teachers to develop art experiences for students that deepen their learning of information in math, reading, science and other subjects. But when it comes down to it, Graham's definition of success in art is when a child is happy with the creation he or she has made.

My family is very creative, each in their own way. I have pictures of myself as a toddler sitting at my grandmother's table drawing. Gifts were and are often homemade in my family, and I remember as a young child always being allowed to participate in creating something special for others.

I adored art as a child at D.D. Kirkland Elementary with Susan Wyback as my art teacher. She now teaches at Rollingwood Elementary. Her constant encouragement and acceptance was truly inspirational. Her room was always a safe place for me to explore new ideas and new methods, and I strive for my room to have the same atmosphere.

My goals for my students are to always help them realize the connection art has with the rest of their world, realize everyone has creative potential in some area and see that it's OK to try something new.

I haven't found many art activities that students dislike. Some of our favorites are color mixing, clay, making dough and putty and story-telling art. Everyone has an area that they prefer, and I tell them it's my job to help them try different things until we find the one they like best.

I think it's so easy for parents to encourage children in art. Parents can ask children about what they're making or their opinions about artwork or designs they see. They can also allow kids to experiment with things around them in creative ways. Art doesn't have to be just paints on paper; it can be a collage out of magazine scraps, sculptures out of foil or any other type of things you have at hand. Art is all around us – it's just a matter of helping people see it.

What is success in elementary art? Part of me says I'd love it if my students followed directions the first time, each time, but some of the best artwork always comes from the kids who make their own path. When it comes to artwork, when children are happy with the creation they've made, it’s a success.

At Western Oaks I am fortunate that my principal is extremely supportive of helping me integrate literacy, mathematics, science and social studies into our art curriculum. By better understanding what the students are working on in class, I've adapted most of my lessons to help support the classroom learning while striving to be creative, fun and meet my own art objectives. For example, some of the skills I teach in art, such as comparing and contrasting, describing, inferring, predicting and analyzing, are skills that help students in learning and testing.

I am thankful that Putnam City embraces arts in education. I have the wonderful opportunity to go across curriculums and show children how art ties in with so many of the other things we're learning about, allowing them to add their own input and experiences at the same time.