At the core of the 3 Bridges model is a focus on the process artists use to grow and develop expression. The goal is not the artistic product, but the learning that occurs in the process. Teachers support learning by treating students as artists who are in charge of their own creative process, and observing how they work rather than evaluating the outcome.
Artists discover their expression through a process of choice making. What they will make is unknown until they have finished it! They start with an inspiring idea (an evil monster) or artistic choice: (a movement, shape, sound, or phrase). As they explore that inspiration, an idea starts to form, but it is still vague and full of many possible pathways.
As they pursue a pathway of choices, other choices get ruled out and their expression gets more specific. There are always many different directions they could choose and they keep moving between making artistic choices and reflective pauses to navigate their process.
Every choice is an experiment: an artist doesn’t know if something is right unless they try it. This experiment requires exploration and play with tools to test ideas, risk mistakes and be curious. The most exciting choices often come from what an artist first perceives as a “big mistake”.
An artist “feels” a choice is “right” or “wrong” based on a complex thought process they can’t immediately explain. As an artist interacts with their medium they make intuitive choices guided by imagination, experience, knowledge, unconscious and conscious intentions.
The culture of the artist classroom highlights variety and uniqueness: of the ideas children have, the ways they express their ideas, and their work process. It is crucial to teach explicitly that differences are valuable resources in the classroom, and that children can learn from the different ways people work and think.
Students will be able to focus on new challenges with a sense of capacity, agency and confidence if using a work process that comes naturally to them that is recognized and valued by their teacher. Watch this video to see classroom teacher Jessica Giler validate the variety of artistic choices that her first graders are making.
The shift from evaluation to observation changes the energy in the room. The student artist is responsible for all decisions about their artwork- its content and when it’s complete. The teacher models artistic thinking, asks questions that artists ask themselves to stay in process and supplies rich specific language to talk about students’ artistic choices.
Children can surprise us with their content choices. Artists need freedom to find their own connections between content, imagination and medium. When kids’ choices seem to you out of place, silly, or unsettling, meet their choices with acceptance and curiosity. You will support an authentic process that represents their own understanding and expression.
Children “drive their own learning in play in ways that can only be partially approximated in teacher structured activities.” Watch her students in action as Kindergarten teacher Kathy Anderson unpacks the experience of learning through play at the heart of an artist’s work process. Don’t miss the eloquent reflections by kids at the end of the video.
Feelings of yes and no guide the artist as they make choices. At times, when artists’ feelings tell them “NO,” emotions such as frustration, disappointment or overwhelm can arise. Use Notice, Describe & Ask protocol to help artists deal with big feelings that naturally come while doing challenging work of all kinds.
