Northwest ISD teacher allows creative freedom. This student embraced it artfully.

Lea Johnson used an old school approach to create something new when given a recent assignment.

While others in her seventh-grade English language arts class were going digital to complete an assignment, Johnson simply asked for a few blank sheets of paper. The assignment was to show their comprehension and understanding of “The Outsiders,” a novel the class recently finished reading together.

Hollie Strickland, Johnson’s teacher at Medlin Middle School in the Northwest school district, wanted to give her students creative freedom.

Johnson returned the following week having created a graphic novel from five of the book’s most significant scenes. She even explained in text the significance of each scene to the novel’s plot.

“I had gotten the idea to draw a graphic novel from another book that I was reading, so I decided to draw something similar to that,” Johnson explained. “I had a great understanding of the novel and really enjoyed it. I think S.E Hinton really outdid herself on ‘The Outsiders.’ It’s a great novel with lots of twists in it and I just loved it.”

Johnson researched images for inspiration and watched videos of artists who use pencil shading techniques. She also learned how to develop skin tones and create various shades while working on the project.

“I love how art can express your feelings no matter what,” she said. “It was really around fourth grade when I started to realize that I really love art and what it means to me. It’s important to me and I like to use art as often as I can.”

Those familiar with the famous story, later made into a film by director Francis Ford Coppola, will understand her breakdown, which includes:

“The first page that I did was when the character Ponyboy had come home late to his two brothers, and had gotten smacked. This was in the beginning of the book,” she explained. “The second page was when the main conflict had happened. Another character, Johnny, had just murdered a boy that was trying to drown Ponyboy.

“The third was when the church that Ponyboy and Johnny had run away to had gone down in flames and Johnny was coughing. Those two pages were in the middle of the book.

“The fourth was when Ponyboy and another character, Dally, had gone to the hospital to visit Johnny after the fire, and then Johnny died in the hospital bed. That was near the end.”

This was Johnson’s first time to create a graphic novel, though now that she’s done it she is excited about doing another, she said. Her sister and uncle, who are both artists, inspire her, she added.

Ironically, she has not read many graphic novels.

“I’ve read the “Bone” series and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” other than that not much. I do hope to read more,” she said.

She also loves photography, she said.

“I’d have to take a spot in the photography industry. I love doing my art but also photography,” she said.

Strickland said this experience is the epitome of what teachers hope to accomplish with their students.

“She is extremely talented. She adapted the work to complement her strengths,” Strickland said.

“Lea took this project as an opportunity to show her learning and her talents simultaneously. Her creativity and attention to detail allowed me to see the depth of her comprehension in a way that highlighted both her academic abilities and artistic strengths.

“Giving students freedom in how they show their learning is powerful. It produces the highest quality of work. Lea being the perfect example. She is an incredible artist who brought the novel to life in a way I had never seen before.”