MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Crystal Alulema Jogani
Farley Middle School, Hutto ISD
How did you get into teaching?  
I’ve always had a strong connection to art, but 
over time I realized that I was equally passionate 
about helping others discover their own 
creativity. That led me to pursue Art Education 
at Arizona State University and ultimately into 
the classroom. One of my biggest goals as 
an educator is to make art feel accessible to 
everyone—to expose students to different forms 
of art and help them believe that they are capable 
of creating something meaningful themselves. 
Seven years into teaching, that continues to be 
at the heart of why I do this work.
What do you love most about teaching art? 
What I love most about teaching art is watching 
students realize that they are capable of creating 
something they are proud of. I love giving them 
the space to experiment, take creative risks, and 
express parts of themselves that they may not 
always have words for. Seeing a student go from 
“I can’t do this” to feeling confident in their own 
ideas is one of the most rewarding parts of being 
an art teacher.
What is your favorite medium to work with?
My favorite mediums to work with are acrylic 
paint and spray paint, especially when creating 
large-scale murals. I love working with bold color, 
layering, and texture, and I enjoy how painting on 
a larger scale can completely transform a space. 
Murals also give me the opportunity to create art 
that feels connected to the community and can 
be experienced by everyone.
Something others may not know about you?
Something not many people know about me is 
that I only took one art class in high school, and it 
wasn’t until my senior year. I had an incredible art 
teacher who saw something in me, encouraged 
me, and helped me realize that art could be more 
than just something I enjoyed. That experience 
played a huge part in the path I chose, and it is 
one of the reasons I care so much about being 
that kind of teacher for my own students.
What is your most memorable moment?
Some of my favorite memories as an art 
educator 
have 
happened 
outside 
of 
the 
traditional classroom—taking students on field 
trips, introducing them to museums and artists, 
and watching them experience something new 
for the first time. I also love involving students 
in mural projects because they get to see their 
own work become part of something much 
bigger than themselves. Those are the moments 
that really stay with me because we are not just 
making art—we are creating experiences and 
core memories that I hope they carry with them 
long after they leave my classroom.
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