After more than two decades in education, Lisa Shirley still finds herself inspired by the same thing: watching students grow.

“I think what I love the most is seeing who they are when they come in as sixth graders,” she said, “and who they become by the time they leave as eighth graders.”

At Carl Sandburg Middle School, Shirley has spent the past several years guiding students through that transformation, not just as an art teacher but as someone who helps them see the world and themselves a little differently.

As she prepares to retire at the end of this school year, that impact is especially clear.

In Shirley’s classroom, art isn’t about everyone producing the same final product. It’s about exploration.

By the time students reach eighth grade, they’re given increasing freedom to choose what they create, an approach that leads to something powerful.

“They’re engaged. They’re focused. They’re in that flow state,” she said. “Nothing else is distracting them. They’re just creating.”

That sense of ownership helps students connect more deeply to their work and to themselves.

“They’re choosing things that matter to them,” she said. “That’s what gets them there.”

For Shirley, teaching art also means helping students experience it in the real world.

That’s what led her to help organize an annual field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, an opportunity many students might not otherwise have.

“What is art if you don’t engage with it?” she said. “Seeing something in a book is completely different than standing in front of it.”

For many students, the visit is their first time in a major museum, and even their first time exploring downtown Chicago.

“They’re curious. They’re asking questions. They’re talking about what they see,” she said. “They really take it in.”

It’s an experience that brings classroom learning to life and helps students understand the role art plays all around them.

Throughout her career, Shirley has also worked to elevate student voice beyond her classroom, expanding opportunities to display artwork, participate in shows, and be recognized for their creativity.

At the heart of it all is a simple goal: helping students understand that art has value.

“I want them to leave knowing that art is important,” she said. “That it brings joy, beauty, and balance to their lives.”