As the art show approaches, I thought it would be a good idea to learn more about Ms. Torrez and how she preps for this awesome show.

Ms. Torrez says that the first thing she does when she gets to school each morning is pray and have a hot cup of tea. She helps show us that starting the day by talking to God can make a world of a difference when it comes to starting your day off right. Ms. Torrez tells us, “I prepare for the art show all year long. But as soon as Spring Break is over, I start gathering all the finished projects and decide on the best, most visually appealing way to group them.”

She continued to tell us how her classes operate based on students’ skill sets and levels. She says Art 1 classes learn the basics of art through sketching and using different media in projects. Everyone goes at around the same pace. But the Art II, III, and Art IV students are given a timeline and a list of projects to finish by the end of the year. “They are required to complete 3 projects each 9 weeks, relying on the knowledge learned in the previous year.” These students work more independently and are given more artistic freedom.

Finally, I asked Ms. Torrez what advice she’d have for students who don’t believe they’re “good” at art. Here’s how she responded. “I feel sad when I hear students say this phrase. We are all created in the image of God, the creator of the universe. Therefore, I believe that every student has creative abilities within them; my job is to help them discover those abilities. And there you have it. Now you have more insight into Ms. Torrez’s mind.