Process Over Product

 After a busy week of hanging student work parent/teacher conferences and handing back student work before spring break, I've been thinking a lot about the old art teacher adage--"process over product."  I've heard the phrase used a lot, but started to realize that it's one of those terribly subjective statements that can take on many meanings depending on personal opinion.  It makes me wonder, what is process? what is product?  Is there a shining ideal example of either of these things?  Is it possible to pin down a more specific definition?  Working at the K-2 level, I've had to adjust my methods to be very process oriented.  At the same time, like any teacher or parent, I am really pleased when students' work turns out looking like the work of someone in 3rd or 4th grade not 1st grade.  Who doesn't love that?

To zero in on this question a bit more, I took a closer look at some of my students latest projects at every level I teach.  My kindergarten students are starting a unit on animals and animal habitats...our first stop on this adventure is ISLANDS.  We read the book The Little Island by Mary Wise Brown.  Students then had to construct a paper island--took some problem solving, but finally landed on masking tape as the best fastener for the 3-D island part.  (If I do this again next year, I will most definitely be investing in some new staplers.) The next class period was spent making fish, birds, waves, trees, etc out of scrap paper.  I would say this is definitely a process based lesson.  Students had to use 2-dimensional materials to create a 3-dimensional effect.  They also had to use collage/building techniques over drawing.  They really enjoyed the process, and I was happy to see those students who really rely on drawing skills facing a new challenge of building images out of paper. 

first step: create island

Some classes made an Island mural instead of individual islands.

second step: fill in water, build trees, animals, etc.

In a slightly more Product-Based vein, first graders recently completely self portraits.  They did a drawing first in pencil, outlined their lines in sharpie marker, then painted with tempera paint.  The second part of the project involved cutting out their portrait and creating an interesting background.  The final step was to write a short poem about themselves.  The lesson here was how to incorporate their words as part of the picture. The results were really amazing and students were very proud.

I definitely saw a huge range in results in this lesson, but for the most part students were completely amazed at the fact that they could draw their faces so easily.

In the end, I have concluded that like so many things in human life, it isn't a question of process VERSUS product.  One is not better than the other; rather, a healthy balance of the two is answer.  One could say the same about nature vs. nurture.  Take out the VS.  We need both.

Being a Good Listener

Over the last week or two I've made a discovery--or more realistically, I finally faced a problem area in my teaching day that has needed attention.  I realized that in the frenzy to keep up with all the logistics of my day--class to class, school to school, paint spill to untied shoe--I wasn't being a great listener.  One of the things about my job that I find most rewarding is the fact that I get to teach a class that allows room for socialization and a lot of sharing.  My most favorite thing to do is to step back and listen while students are working.  Over the last few weeks, this aspect of my job somehow fell out of the forefront of my mind and priorities.  In all honesty, I'm somewhat in mourning for all the fascinating tid-bits of thought I've missed over the past month or so.  To rectify this problem, I took a few steps that have been fairly helpful.
1.  I've geared my morning routine so that it now includes more exercise and less coffee.  I have more energy and patience which means I have more room in my brain to deal with the day to day things that may come up and can stay calm, able to listen and in the moment.

2.  I've structured sharing moments into every class.

3.  I've become more in tune with the rhythm of my classes--that sounds odd, but no two classes are the same so can't be taught exactly the same.  I have kindergarten classes at the end of the day every day.  The first in line starts art immediately after their afternoon recess.  This means their energy is really high and scattered.  I have to start at their level, grab their attention, and then bring them back down to an operating level that is more conducive to a successful, not-crazy art class.

4.  I've started keeping a little notebook near me all the time so I can quickly jot down kid quotes and thoughts as they come out.

5.  Above all, I'm constantly reminding myself to remain calm and comfortable and to not latch on to too much power in the classroom.  This alone creates an open and comfortable atmosphere where students want to share ideas and thoughts.  It's taken me some time to really see this but, power and control are not the same thing.  Students need room to guide themselves freely and to THINK their way through a series of given tasks.  This doesn't mean I let them go at it with no direction.  It means I let them veer from the plan if they want to or if they have a better way of doing something that I hadn't thought of.  More often than not their ideas are successful, and when they aren't they've learned firsthand that some ideas are better than others--and that's OK!

In reviewing the success of these few steps, I think they're working fairly well.  If not for paying closer attention to these aspects of my day listen to what I would have missed....

Kindergarten conversation 1:
Carson:  "My step-mom's cat died because blood was coming from its privates and he went to heaven.
(side note: there is no such thing as TMI when you're 5!)  

Jim: "What's heaven, Carson?"

Max: "Heaven is a place in the sky by God and the dead angels.  You become a dead angel when you go there.

Kindergarten conversation 2:  (On the opposite end of the insight spectrum....)

Javin: "Pee-pee."

Austin: "You can say that again!"

Javin: "Pee-pee."

Austin: "You can say that again!"

---Repeat about 5 more times....you get the idea!---

Long story short, when you start listening, there is no end to the fascinating things kids say.  No, there not always insightful, but in my opinion, any thought that a person between the ages of 5 and 8 (as is my clientele) can commit to words is worth listening to.