Process not the product

From: Ann Hentschel
Email: ann.hentschel@nl.edu
Date: June 03, 2008

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Hi Keith,

I look forward to participating in this lively online discussion with you. What a great question to kick off the conversation.

I work for the McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership. I'm also a member of NLU’s Early Childhood Administration masters program (ECA-8 cohort). I've been in the field of Early Care and Education for 25 years. Some of my fondest years were as a Preschool Teacher.

Your question about process sparked a vivid teaching memory. I was setting up the art area in our preschool classroom. There was no lesson plan and I was late and in a hurry. So, I cut up a bunch of colorful strips of construction paper and tossed them on the art table along with glue and some square pieces of cardboard. I had no pre-conceived notion about this activity.

As the children entered the room, several came over to the art table and asked what we were doing. I told them I wasn’t sure and asked if they had any good ideas. They sat down and got to work, creating some incredible three-dimensional art.

This was an “ah ha” moment for me. They were so actively engaged in the process because I was not pushing an agenda. The children had full ownership of the experience and had a wonderful time creating their own ideas. This seemed to be process work at it’s finest, with no expectation for a specific outcome. Ironically, the finished products were far better than anything I could have imagined. Trust in the children, give them opportunities to engage in the process, and magic seems to happen.