Artistic expression: Batavia elementary school art teacher nurtures ‘creative problem solvers’
Teaching art was a natural career choice for Grace McWayne Elementary School’s Nicole Pappanduros.
Pappanduros’ mother, Sandie, taught art at Lions Park Elementary School in Mount Prospect. Pappanduros grew up helping her mom, who’s now 71 and retired, in the classroom.
“The art room became a place where I felt comfortable and at home from an early age,” Pappanduros, 43, said.
A professional teacher for 21 years, the younger Pappanduros has spent her entire career at Grace McWayne Elementary, which is in Batavia Unit School District 101.
“There’s something really special about working with students who are still open to experimenting, creating, and exploring without fear,” Pappanduros said. “Being able to nurture that creativity and help them see themselves as creative problem solvers is what drew me to teaching and continues to motivate me.”
Last month, Pappanduros was honored by Artsonia, the Gurnee company that hosts her students’ online art portfolios, with a 2026 Art Education Leadership Award. The prize celebrates art educators who inspire their peers and promote creativity in the classroom.
Pappanduros was among 10 teachers honored nationally this year.
“We could not thrive without the dedication and creativity of teachers like Nicole, who use their online gallery and lesson plans to motivate others,” Artsonia CEO and cofounder Jim Meyers said in a company news release. “This award is our way of honoring those who help children develop their creativity and love for art.”
Pappanduros said the award from Artsonia shows the work she’s doing matters — and that it’s impactful beyond her classroom.
“It’s affirming to know that others in the field see value in what I’m contributing,” she said. “It gives me a renewed sense of confidence that I’m doing something right.”
Art always has been important to Pappanduros.
“Making art helped me feel confident and allowed me to notice and appreciate the beauty in the world around me,” she said. “I want my students to have that same experience — to feel proud of what they create, to express themselves freely and to develop an appreciation for the world through art.”
Pappanduros strives to teach her students that there’s no one right way to be artistic — that there’s more to drawing or other forms of visual art than perfectly replicating a subject.
“I try to help students see that art is so much more than representational drawing,” she explained. “It can be about color, texture, storytelling, emotion, design, or simply the process of making. My goal is to expose them to as many forms of creative expression as possible so they can find where they feel successful and confident.”
Principal Jeff Modaff credited Pappanduros for creating a warm and caring learning environment that allows students to take risks and express themselves artistically.
“When visiting her classroom, I see all students striving to do their very best and working diligently on their creations with great pride,” Modaff said. “This translates to great works of art being displayed around the school and online.”
In addition to teaching, Pappanduros is an active artist who prefers to work with colored pencil on paper. Her vivid pieces resemble pop art.
“I’m really interested in how color and form can create movement and evoke emotion, so my work often feels playful, bold, and abstract,” said Pappanduros, whose artwork can be found at instagram.com/nikki.kitsch.
Curriculum vitae: Nicole Pappanduros
Age: 43
Residence: Warrenville
Occupation: Art teacher at Grace McWayne Elementary School, Batavia
Extracurriculars: An art club that meets before school
Education: Bachelor’s degree in art education from Northern Illinois University; master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from National-Louis University