Turning art (even the abstract kind) into something kids can relate to is one reason Mattapoisett art teacher Greta Anderson was named this year’s 2013 Elementary Art Educator of the Year.

From designing superheroes with third graders at Center School to abstract art with the fifth grade classes of Old Hammondtown School, Anderson is working to provide positive art experiences in the classroom.

Anderson was nominated for her award by one of her professors at UMass Dartmouth, where she is currently working on a master’s degree.

“At the time, I didn’t know much about it,” said Anderson, who has eight years of teaching under her belt.

Although she wasn’t sure what criteria the Massachusetts Art Education Association was looking for in its consideration of applicants, it was her dual focus on furthering her education and reaching out to kids that sealed the deal.

“They felt like I worked on professional development and giving back to the school,” said Anderson.

Anderson’s thesis is actually a combination of those two subjects, as she researches how to help students make a personal connection with the art they make in class.

As a landscape painter, Anderson said choosing a place that she’s actually experienced and enjoys helps her creative process. Letting kids choose their subject matter also helps them get more excited about the art they make.

Anderson explained that it isn’t enough to teach kids to draw using random places and subjects. “It needs to be a subject that they understand or relate to, and then the formal elements can be taught later,” she said.

Anderson doesn’t want her students to end up like so many adults who feel that being artistic is impossible.

“I want them to feel like they can be successful,” she said. “Not everyone is going to be an artist. It’s more a way of seeing the world and communicating that with materials.”

She also looks for opportunities to facilitate after school activities such as last year’s knitting club that helped create blankets for hospice patients. This year, Anderson is tag teaming with a ceramics artist to teach pottery classes after school.

“At a young age, it’s a really impactful time in their lives to be experiencing positive connections to their artwork,” said Anderson.