Use our artistic process tools to help you pass on more of the artistic process and agency you know deeply to your students. Watch the videos below to hear about the experience of visual and music artists and how they apply Bridges in their artform.
Describing kids’ work is something I’ve taken with me… to respectfully acknowledge the work of all children. It frees us from vague, often dishonest statements like “I love it! It’s so creative!” that do not build capacity, and impart to children that their goal is to please us, rather than to value their own ideas (Ron Sopyla)
Though there is often pressure for children’s artwork to have a certain look, use the language on this website to clarify the focus on learning an artist’s work process to advocate for a focus on authentic expression, rather than a product that adults have imagined in advance.
Check out the Character Emotions/My Emotions activity series which explores emotions as an inspiration for artistic work. On the Working with Emotions page find: language and tips to help students learn from the frustration moments inherent in artistic process; information on making space for emotionally charged content when it arises in the classroom.
Use these tools to build your teacher partner’s observation skills and understanding of the priorities of artistic process work. They build a common language between you, and provide a meaty structure that offers teachers professional development in artistic working and thinking while you teach.
Kirsten Kammermeyer is a Bridges teaching artist who went on to become a theater arts specialist in a public school in Queens. In this video, she and Bridges curriculum specialist Erin Orr talk about what physical expression offers young learners and how integrating it into classroom routines can help both kids and teachers!
