This study investigates the intentions and practices of aesthetically-minded college educators and their use of aesthetic themes (CRISPA) in the classroom. These topics were explored through interviewing and observing participants under the qualitative framework of educational connoisseurship and criticism. Three research questions guided this study: (a) What are the intentions of aesthetically-minded educators who purposefully utilize CRISPA in higher education? (b) How do the aesthetic themes (CRISPA) operationalize in college classrooms? And (c) what is the significance of the intentions and practices of aesthetically-minded educators for higher education and for education in general? The findings show that the intentions of aesthetically-minded educators might be described as the wow experience, forms of energy, transformational catalysts, and innovative practices in teacher education. Operationalizing CRISPA in the classroom resulted in additional best practices for college curriculum and instruction, including recall and introspection, interpretation, synthesis, transposition, and connoisseurship. The outcomes of this study provide evidence that CRISPA holds valuable implications for college students, the college curriculum and integrative models of higher education.
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