Reflection Studio: Creativity, Identity, and Inquiry for Educators, Barrow, Summer 2026

Course Number:	EDX 5710 S83
Instructor:	Donna Barrow, Ed.D.
Location:	In-person at VTSU Castleton Art Studio & online.
Dates and Times:	June 29 - Aug 17, 2026. August 17 in-person meeting at VTSU Castleton with meetings on July 20, August 3 at Castleton or on Zoom, with the remainder of the course in an online, independent format.
Credits:	3 Graduate Credits
Tuition:	$1,195

Course Description

This hybrid studio course explores the relationship between creativity, reflective practice, educator identity, and professional sustainability. Through studio artmaking, reflective dialogue, documentation, scholarly inquiry, and collaborative critique, students examine how creative practice can support resilience, meaning-making, and reflective teaching. The course combines online learning with in-person studio intensives and culminates in a public creative celebration and exhibition.

Visual arts serve as the anchor medium for the course, while students may incorporate writing, storytelling, audio, movement, or other expressive forms into their creative inquiry.

Audience: Teachers in any discipline and grade level

Course Goals & Objectives

Course Goals: By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Examine relationships between creativity, educator identity, reflective practice, and professional sustainability.
2. Use studio processes and arts-based inquiry as tools for reflection, meaning-making, and professional growth.
3. Engage in critique, documentation, and collaborative dialogue as reflective learning practices within a creative community.
4. Develop and present a sustained creative inquiry project that integrates artistic process, scholarship, experimentation, and personal reflection.
5. Analyze research related to educator resilience, well-being, artist-teacher identity, and arts-based practice while reconnecting with creative exploration and independent artistic inquiry.

Course Objectives: By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Create original visual or multimedia work that reflects personal inquiry, experimentation, and artistic process.
2. Document and communicate creative process through reflective writing, visual documentation, and discussion.
3. Participate thoughtfully in critique, collaborative dialogue, and reflective studio practices.
4. Connect course readings and scholarly ideas to creative practice, educator identity, and professional reflection.
5. Present a final public-facing creative inquiry project that integrates artistic work, reflection, and course themes.

Course Schedule

Weekly Course Topics, Assignments, and Projects

WEEK 1: Entering the Studio: Creativity, Identity, and Reflective Practice

Readings:

• Jordan, *The Dual Identity of the Artist-Teacher*
• McKay (2021), arts-based reflection and preservice teacher identity development

Assignments:

• Reflective Journal Entry #1, “Who am I as a creative educator?” due July 5

WEEK 2: Art, Emotion, and Resilience

Readings:

• Fancourt & Finn (2019), WHO Arts and Well-Being Review
• McKay & Barton (2018), arts-based reflection and teacher resilience
• Moar, Burke, & Watson (2024), arts-based practices and well-being education
• Anderson et al. (2022), creativity, agency, and teacher well-being

Assignments:

• Ideation Portfolio due July 12

WEEK 3: Studio Intensive I: Material Exploration and Creative Risk

Readings:

• Turner (2023), arts-based methods and teacher educator well-being

Assignments:

• Process Documentation #1 due July 19

WEEK 4: Documentation, Reflection, and Artistic Process

Readings:

• van Vliet & Goren (2023), arts-based methods in teacher education
• Selected Reggio Emilia and documentation resources provided in Canvas

Assignments:

• Midpoint Process Reflection due July 26

WEEK 5: Critique, Community, and Reflective Dialogue

Readings:

• Day & Gu (2007), teacher resilience and professional sustainability

Assignments:

• Peer Critique Reflection due August 2

WEEK 6: Studio Intensive II: Deepening Inquiry and Revision

Readings:

• Winner, Vincent-Lancrin, & Hetland (2022), the impact of arts education

Assignments:

• Reflective Studio Podcast due August 9

WEEK 7: Public Sharing, Voice, and Meaning-Making

Readings:

• Basanta (2025), arts-based museum programs and teacher well-being

Assignments:

• Final Reflective Inquiry Piece due August 16

WEEK 8: Final Creative Celebration and Exhibition

Readings:

• Final exhibition preparation and reflective review of course materials

Assignments:

• Participation in Final Creative Celebration and Exhibition on August 17

Instructor

Dr. Donna Barrow is an early childhood education leader, educator, consultant, and college instructor with more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, teacher development, and early childhood systems. She currently teaches in educator preparation programs at Vermont State University, where her work focuses on reflective practice, inquiry-based learning, creativity, and educator identity.

Donna collaborates with Stepping Stones Early Childhood Center to support Reggio-inspired programming through strategic planning, grant development, and program innovation. Previously, she served as Director of Rutland County Head Start, where she led a major program transformation centered on staff support, mental health, inclusion, expressive arts, and community partnerships. Under her leadership, the program became recognized for innovation, quality improvement, and relationship-centered practice.

Her teaching and consulting work draws from arts-based inquiry, reflective practitioner theory, Reggio Emilia-inspired approaches, and research on educator resilience and well-being. Donna is passionate about creating spaces where educators can reconnect with creativity, meaning-making, and sustainable professional practice through inquiry, collaboration, and artistic exploration."

Required Readings/Resources

Costs, if any, for required readings/resources are not included in the course tuition.

Anderson, R. C., et al. (2022). Teacher professional development for creativity, agency, and well-being through arts-based inquiry. *Frontiers in Psychology.* [https://www.makespaceproject.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/AndersonEtal%282022%29_ReinvigoratingDesiretoTeach.pdf](https://www.makespaceproject.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/AndersonEtal%282022%29_ReinvigoratingDesiretoTeach.pdf)

Basanta, C. (2025). Art-based museum programs for teacher wellbeing. *Education Sciences, 15*(11). [https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15111532](https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15111532)

Day, C., & Gu, Q. (2007). Variations in the conditions for teachers’ professional learning and development: Sustaining commitment and effectiveness over a career. *Oxford Review of Education, 33*(4), 423–443. [https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980701450746](https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980701450746)

Fancourt, D., & Finn, S. (2019). *What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review* (Health Evidence Network synthesis report 67). World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. [https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/e1cc8536-773d-446f-9822-8ae376f41415/content](https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/e1cc8536-773d-446f-9822-8ae376f41415/content)

Jordan, D. (2015). *The dual identity of the artist-teacher: What does teaching do to the artist-teacher in a contemporary educational context?* (Doctoral thesis, Dublin City University). Dublin City University. [https://doras.dcu.ie/22495/](https://doras.dcu.ie/22495/)

McKay, L. (2021). Using arts-based reflection to explore preservice teacher identity development and its reciprocity with resilience and wellbeing during the second year of university. *Teaching and Teacher Education, 105*, Article 103424. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103424](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103424)

McKay, L., & Barton, G. M. (2018). Exploring how arts-based reflection can support teachers' resilience and well-being. *Teaching and Teacher Education, 75*, 356–365. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.07.012](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.07.012)

Moar, S., Burke, K., & Watson, M. (2024). Teacher perspectives on enhancing wellbeing education through integrating arts-based practices. *British Educational Research Journal, 50*(5), 2422–2440. [https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4029](https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.4029)

Turner, K. (2023). Reflecting through arts-based methods: Exploring teacher educator wellbeing through creative inquiry. *Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 48*(4). [https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1416232.pdf](https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1416232.pdf)

van Vliet, E., & Goren, S. (2023). Arts-based methods in teacher education: Creativity, reflection, and identity development in professional learning. *Teaching Education, 34*(3), 287–302. [https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2022.2035678](https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2022.2035678)

Winner, E., Vincent-Lancrin, S., & Hetland, L. (2022). *Art for art’s sake? The impact of arts education.* OECD Publishing. [https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264180789-en](https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264180789-en)

For additional course information

Donna Barrow

(503) 756-7006

For additional registration information

Center for Schools Team

(802) 468-1325

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