Teacher Tips
Strategies for Maintaining Order in the Art Classroom
By Bethany L. Thiele
Art Teacher
Sterling Middle School
Sterling, Virginia
Art teachers understand that there must be a high level of flexibility, openness, and communication in the classroom. For students to truly experience art they must take chances, have responsibilities, and be exposed to new things; all of which under the right circumstances can result in CHAOS! To keep control of your art class, remember the following basic strategies:
- Create basic rules and expectations.
- Follow through with rewards and punishments.
- Establish classroom routines. For example, always begin class with a warm up assignment or question, and always end class with a closing question or statement.
- Anticipate and be prepared for potential issues.
As the school year progresses, it's easy to let routines slip, become slack with discipline, lose track of time in the classroom, and forget to prepare appropriately. It might be helpful to review the above strategies each quarter, and reflect upon how well you are using them. These strategies are very basic, yet can easily be forgotten when life gets in the way! In addition, I've found the following strategies to be particularly helpful in the art classroom:
- Minimize student movement by providing necessary materials on each table. For instance, I provide each table with handheld pencil sharpeners when working with pencils. Each time a student is out of his or her seat and crossing the classroom, there is a greater opportunity for mischief, so stop these problems before they occur.
- Create supply sets for specialized, expensive, or dangerous materials, such as: needle tools, linoleum cutters, craft knives, or even permanent markers. Begin by numbering your tables and enforcing a seating chart. Then, pass out numbered sets to each table, requiring that each set be returned and checked at the end of class. I don't allow students to exit the classroom without checking their sets. If an item is missing, an administrator is called down. This will quickly quash any student's desire to steal or damage supplies!
- Reward good behavior. No student enjoys being in a classroom where they are continually being reprimanded. By having a positive attitude and giving praise, you make your classroom a pleasant place. Simple rewards I use in my classroom are music and choice seating (depending on the assignment).
- Noise control can be a serious issue in the art classroom. I've found it helpful to immediately reward quiet classes with music (which I turn off immediately if there is excessive talking). I also use a "Three Strikes, You're Out" rule, where after two warnings a student, or group of students, will receive a consequence for continued disruption or excessive talking.
Everyday Tips for Classroom Management
By Michael Byrne
Art Educator and Campus Director
Columbus Bilingual Academy
Columbus, Ohio
Classroom management begins on Day One. In my art classroom, I begin each school year by introducing my expectations to the students. At the end of the first class, I pass out an "Art Class Contract" for my students and their parents to read and sign. I find this to be helpful when I interact with parents later in the school year.
I can only have a well-managed classroom if I am well-prepared. I prepare for each studio lesson by first completing each studio project myself, before I assign it to my students. Completing each studio project ahead of time allows me to identify any potential problems the students may encounter. This also allows me to provide an exemplar to my students. I find that creating an example of what you do not want students to do is also useful.
I set out all of the materials I will need before each class period. I arrange materials in bins, cups, or crates for easy access and clean-up. Organizing all of your materials ahead of time also helps to prevent unstructured downtime.
I always find it helpful to have meaningful assignments ready for students to work on after they have completed their projects. These assignments can include sketchbooks, murals, artist trading cards, and art games. These assignments not only give me another opportunity to teach, they also help to keep the students focused and on-task. As we all know, engaged students are well-behaved students!