Editor’s Note: “Hawks Uncovered” is a series that tells the often unknown stories of Hebron students and staff.
“Action.”
The words echoed through the room as art teacher Jennifer Russell began filming a “Pro Pack” for The Art of Education University (AOEU). Since her time with the university began, Russell has been a contracted creator, working on one-off projects. One “Pro Pack” required at least 12 hours of filming in a single day, creating the university’s paid resources, as well as free content on YouTube.
The university approached Russell with an idea: throughout the entire 2023-24 school year, she would document the process of creating her end-of-year Art Show. It would culminate in a 10-episode series on the university’s YouTube page. It meant the art show could no longer be her usual. Russel had to think big, and needed to do so before filming began.
Prior to the series, she held a small art show in her classroom, displaying her AP student’s portfolios alongside other classes. Teachers were invited to bring their classes to the show, allowing students to interact with the artists face-to-face. Now, knowing there would be thousands of eyes prompted her to level up in spaces.
In August, following a pre-production meeting with the team and her co-host, Russell began filming. Her Art I students were featured more predominantly in the series, as opposed to her AP students. When looking at pieces for the show, she challenged herself to celebrate the students who attempted art and allowed themselves a chance to be creative.
Selecting pieces was not her only challenge. While her previous work with AOEU was done by a professional filming crew, Russell had to film the entire series on her own. Filming, while teaching and organizing the show, became a stressor, but she overcame that by remembering the awareness for art that was brought by the series.
Though the series has concluded, Russell is open to doing another season or content series with a similar structure. She’s noticed how it impacts her teaching, allowing her to connect to various students on a level that she had not done since the pandemic. Russell is excited to reintegrate art into her students.
This series helped her rediscover the joy in art, no matter how “basic” it may be, and, with her students, she wants to put that into “action.”
