Managing The Art Classroom: Welcome to the Art Room!

Physical Room Environment: The classroom environment really sets the tone for the class. It is important that all materials and work are stored and organized. The set up of the classroom can help promote the expectation of good behavior and work habits. It also allows for set-up and clean-up transitions to occur smoothly. 

Materials: Organization is key when it comes to managing and distributing art supplies.  

I have all of my materials labeled and displayed in a place that is easily accessible to students. In my classroom, I have students assist me in the set up and clean up process.  I have open shelving and taped onto each shelf is a label with the name and an image of the material underneath. This way when students are getting and putting away materials it is easy to see where the materials are and need to go.  

Artwork Storage: It is also important to have an organization system for  distributing & collecting student artwork. This can allow for more time for students to create!

For 2-d work I have flat shelves in the back of my room, and each shelf is labeled for a specific class.  Within each shelf I have 6 colored folders (one for each table). Students take the folders from their class shelf and quickly distribute artwork to other students.  In addition, during clean up students simply place their artwork in their table folder to be collected. For sculptural work I have boxes or shelves that I label for each class.

Visual Aids: To provide a meaningful classroom environment it is important that students always have visuals to assist them during their lesson.   Overall, a classroom should not only be organized but provide students with visual reinforcement of the day's lesson.

In addition to a powerpoint presentation, I have a large board located in the front of my room that is divided by grade level. There students can find the objective as well as visual images related to the work that they are creating.  I also have printed images of some hand signals that I use during class (a bathroom sign, and an “I’m done” sign) that they can reference. 

Classroom Climate: in addition to the physical space, creating a positive classroom climate is also crucial.  Teachers need to be mindful of their voice/tone, temperament, composure, and focus on building meaningful relationships with students.

Teacher Tone:  It is also all about your attitude, tone, and the way you carry yourself.  It is your energy and overall vibe that can begin a level of calmness and maturity to the classroom.  In addition, you can not allow students behaviors to affect your demeanor, you need to be consistent and follow your classroom management plan.  Having this mentality and attitude can command a level of respect and promote positive behavior from students. 

Nonverbal Communication:  It is best to use nonverbal communication to ensure that students stay on task and follow directions.  This allows you to demonstrate a level of confidence and calmness in the classroom. Some strategies you can use is direct eye contact with a student, as well as proximity. Simply moving closer to a student can help redirect their attention.