Thinking Through Art

Watch Boston Public Schools teachers and administrators discuss the importance of art and Thinking Through Art in students’ lives. (3 minutes) 
 

Learn to facilitate open-ended discussions of works of art using Visual Thinking Strategies, a method proven to develop students’ critical thinking skills and promote social and emotional learning. You and your students will experience the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum as a place of learning, inspiration, and community.

Benefits

For teachers: 

• Dual/Household Gardner Museum membership
• Digital curriculum of visual art to use throughout the year
• 30 PDPs or graduate credits
• Learn skills proven to increase culturally responsive instruction
• Community of teachers from all subjects and grade levels
• Support from the Gardner Museum and its educators throughout the entire program and beyond 

For students: 

• Field trips to the Gardner Museum with transportation included
• Access to the Museum for students and their families
• Experiences in the classroom and Museum proven to increase social-emotional learning and critical thinking  
   

Requirements

Throughout the program, teachers will: 

• Attend professional development workshops (Summer, Fall and Spring)
• Bring at least one class
• Lead six classroom Thinking Through Art lessons during the school year, each including 2-3 works of art
• Write a one-page reflection following each classroom lesson
• Write a fiveto seven-page paper following final Museum visit (for graduate credit)

Fee 

$100 materials fee per teacher, plus an additional fee for teachers seeking to earn graduate credit. 

Student & Teacher Perspective
Watch Boston Public Schools teachers and students describe partnering with the Gardner Museum and the joy they experience as part of Thinking Through Art. (3 minutes) 

Through rigorous professional development and a supportive community of educators, deepen your facilitation skills and become an advocate for student-centered teaching and arts integration within your school. Build on your expertise with Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) as a peer mentor, and use the Museum as a resource for designing lesson plans and student assessments that cultivate open-ended inquiry in your classroom.

BENEFITS 

For teachers: 

• Dual/Household Gardner Museum membership
• Digital curriculum of visual art to use throughout the year
• 20 PDPs or graduate credits
• Learn skills proven to increase culturally responsive instruction
• Community of teachers from all subjects and grade levels
• Support from the Gardner Museum and its educators throughout the entire program and beyond 

For students: 

• Field trips to the Gardner Museum with transportation included
• Access to the Museum for students and their families
• Experiences in the classroom and Museum proven to increase social-emotional learning and critical thinking

Requirements

Teachers must have completed Thinking Through Art Level 1 to be eligible for Level 2. Throughout the program, teachers will: 

• Attend all professional development workshops
• Bring at least one class to the Gardner Museum
• Lead four classroom Thinking Through Art lessons during the school year, each including 2-3 images
• One-page reflection following each classroom lesson
• Design and implement a Thinking Through Art Extension Project
• Write a 5-7 page paper about the Extension Project including an evaluation of the Project design (for graduate credit)

Fee

$100 materials fee per teacher, plus an additional fee for teachers seeking graduate credit. 

Students who participate in regular Visual Thinking Strategies discussions with works of art achieve significant gains in social-emotional learning skills and critical thinking skills, including supported observations and flexible thinking, compared with peers who do not participate.

Watch as Gardner Museum staff and Boston Public Schools teachers discuss the impact of Thinking Through Art on teacher practice and student outcomes. (4 minutes) 

Click below to learn more about the Gardner Museum's educational research projects.