I'm excited to share the best classroom management technique I've tried in years.... the "Mona! Lisa!" attention signal. I used this new technique in all my K-8 classes this week, and it was even more successful than I had hoped for! Kudos go to Tricia Fuglestad of Dryden Art Fugleblog for sharing this fantastic idea, which she learned from Scott Russell. It's a simple … [Read more...]
Rules to Live By – Both In and Out of the Art Room
I don't have a lot of special rules for my students to remember during Art time.... their classroom teachers do a great job of "laying down the law" for expected behavior no matter where they are on campus. But I do have three special "Art Rules" that I teach them on day one, and remind them of throughout the year as needed. These rules are unique in that they all involve … [Read more...]
Art Rules!
The beginning of a new school year is a great time to review the rules we follow during Art class! In addition to the usual rules that students have in their classrooms (no hitting, raise your hand, etc.), we have three special rules we follow in the Art Room, and they each involve something you "say"....Rule #1 - Say only things that are kind and encouraging about another … [Read more...]
Many Hands Make Light Work
Here's a handy idea to motivate your students to help clean up the classroom after a messy project or party. (Anyone have one of those this week?) They say that "Many hands make light work", so enlist class support and get the job done quickly! Just tell your students that in order to participate in the next activity (whatever that might be), they will each need to pay you … [Read more...]
Class Management with Sign Language!
I was recently asked how I handle questions and interruptions while I'm teaching. If you have a group of more than about six students, questions and other interruptions can take your class off-task and eat up your teaching time, whether you're teaching Art or any other subject. Here's what I do to really cut down on that!First of all, I emphasize from the beginning that I … [Read more...]
Art Rules!
"Yay!! It's Art time!"Every teacher enjoys getting an enthusiastic reaction from students. To hear students exclaim, "Yay!! It's Art time!" or "Art rules!" is music to an Art teacher's ears. Yet only when students feel safe to create, comfortable in the vulnerability of putting a part of themselves into their work, will they respond this way. So, how do you begin to create … [Read more...]