Unleashing Creativity: Take Five with Jequeline Salinas

Take Five is a series that highlights members of the CPS community who are going above and beyond for our students. All throughout the 2024–25 school year, we will be spotlighting our amazing CPS teachers! If you know a teacher who is making a difference, nominate them to be featured here.

Meet Ms. Jequeline Salinas, who has been the art teacher at James Hedges Fine and Performing Arts School for 18 years. Hedges is a perfect fit for Ms. Salinas because of the community, which she describes as loving and wonderful. Another special feature of Hedges is the art space itself—Ms. Salinas holds her classes in a beautiful art studio with a dedicated gallery that displays student artwork on a rotating basis and is open to the entire school community.

As an art teacher, Ms. Salinas teaches students of all ages a wide variety of art forms, including sculpture, collage, paper mache, calligraphy, drawing, painting, and print-making. She organizes her units around a unifying idea or theme, adapted for each grade level and individual students’ skills and interests. Learn more about her work below!

What motivates you as an educator?

I didn’t have many opportunities as a child, which made me want to create them for others. Because of my background, I am able to connect to my students and any hardships they’re facing in a unique way. I’ve also had so many incredible mentors throughout my life—I’m so grateful to them, and I want to pay it forward. A lot of pieces fell into place for me when I went to a presentation by Dr. Gholdy Muhammad from the University of Illinois Chicago, where she spoke about the five pursuits for teaching and learning: identity, skill development, intellectualism, criticality, and joy. Those priorities drive me and shape my teaching.

What kind of learning environment do you strive to create in your classroom?

I want students to feel joy when they walk into my room. There’s no failure here, and everyone is welcome. I encourage students to match their creativity with critical thinking. I can be silly, and I’m not worried about students making a mess. This type of environment really helps children make connections, unleash their creativity, and make art without fear.

What is your favorite part of your job?

The creativity. I love designing a new curriculum that is current and exciting. My students are my muses, and I am inspired by them every day. I am always thinking about what we’re going to do next, and I look for inspiration everywhere. I also love that my class gives my students the opportunity to create art right here in their own community.

What are some of your favorite memories from your career so far?

I always love when I am able to bring other artists into my classroom to talk to students, like Piloto Nieves-Ruiz or Indira Freitas Johnson. I love to see students’ reactions when they’re engaging with a full-time artist, because they feel inspired and valued.

What advice do you have for art teachers who are earlier in their careers?

Be open to making mistakes and learning from them. Try things out, and notice what your students like and what they push back on. Make sure to keep track of what your students have learned so far, and think deeply about how you can expand their learning in the future. As art teachers, I think we play a very important role in creating a personality for our school. The creativity shouldn’t stay inside the art studio—it should bleed into the hallways!