Classroom Management Tip #1

Brag Bracelets

There are so many different classroom management techniques out there these days. It's easy to find different ideas, but sometimes deciding which ones are right for you can be challenging. I have a few that I really like. Here's one that I'd like to share (more will come later). Using BRAG TAGS/BRACELETS is a great positive way to reinforce behavior. These work really great for younger students. 

Just a few tips:

1. Make sure to explain and review expectations with all your students.

2. Set-up a plan on how and when you'll use these. Make sure students understand the reasoning for the bracelets, etc....

3. Don't overuse (not everyone has to get something everyday). These are for reinforcement of positive behavior and for those who go above & beyond normal expectations.

I specifically designed these with an art teacher in mind. You can find them in my TPT Shoppe (click on link): Art Brag Bracelets! I also have some for Elementary Classroom teachers also. Just click on the link: Classroom Brag Bracelets! 

Kindergarten Art featuring Artist "Piet Mondrian"

Composition II in Red, Blue & Yellow, 1930

Whenever I introduce Kindergarteners to the color wheel and elements of art, I do it in steps. I start with the primary colors (red, yellow and blue) and who better to use than Piet Mondrian. I love the simplicity of his primary color works of art. 

This lesson is a great lesson. because it introduces the following concepts and is a start to the elements of art. 

Example #1

Elements of Art:

Example #2 (student art)

1. Lines - introduce vertical and horizontal lines.

2. Color - Primary Colors (Red, Yellow and Blue).

3. Shape - Squares and Rectangles. 

4. Texture - the thick painted lines. 

When doing this lesson students are using atypical medium, such as cardboard to paint with and oil pastels. I do this so I can teach them how to use a variety of medium and that you can paint, etc... with other things beside paint brushes. 

It's also a great way to introduce a variety of new art terms. 

Here's some great photos of Kindergarteners in action...

Artists of the Month

Congats to Riley, Zella, Ela, Catherine, Jenna, Caroline, Helen, Will, Sadie, Nell and Carmen for being added to my "Artists of the Month" Bulletinboard! Way to Go! :)








  

5th Grade Taxi's featuring Artist "Red Grooms"

Whenever I'm designing art curriculum, I try to incorporate a variety of artists. Ones that my students might not have heard of along with one's like Van Gogh, Michelangelo, etc... It's nice to pull some that are different and create new lessons. 

This lesson is one of those lessons and you can find the whole lesson in my TPT shoppe. I had this in mind when I was designing, writing and creating this lesson. 


I also try to find books to use that help guide my lessons. I found this one and use it because it helps give students a little background knowledge of New York City life.  The book is called "My Taxi Ride" by Jennifer Swender & Paul Jacobs. It's cute because it rhymes, too. The illustrations are also very fun and colorful. 

My 5th Grade Bulletin Board - love their art!

If you have a subscription to Scholastic Magazines ART, they have a great issue about Red Grooms that's perfect to share with your students. 

Painting Day Set-up

Most of the time painting days are when I'm having students create color wheels, etc... When it's time to paint, I try to make sure I'm using paint with all my grades. I know there will be times when that's not how it works out. When setting up for painting, it's important to be prepared and have all your ducks in a row or it can be chaos, lol! 

Here's an example of how I set-up my classroom tables. 

Painting tips:

1. Have something to cover tables. Weather it's roll paper, table clothes or large sheets of paper, etc.. I use large sheets of paper because it's easy to set-up and remove when finished. I have a place that they are placed and I reuse them over and over with anything messy.

Protecting your tables is so important:
- it cuts down on clean-up time
- helps with messes
- keeps art work from getting ruined

2. I use cloth towels in my classroom (not paper towels). The reason why is I like recycling, they absorb better, great for clean-up and they can be used over and over with ease. The only draw back is, you have to wash them. I just take mine home and bring them back the next day.

3. Try to have enough mixing trays for at least 2 classes. If you have time issues on getting them cleaned between classes, you have a back up. You can always use styrofoam paper plates, but I don't like them as well because kids tend to use too much space when mixing and it's wasteful.

4. I like having paint ready in small, reusable, lidded cups. I have students use popsicle sticks to scoop out the paint to eliminate mixing of paint in the cups making it usable. But, if that does happen, the small cups are nice because you can clean them out and it's less waste of paint because the containers are small. School Specialty/Dick Blick Art have these types of cups you can buy or find a medical place that has ones they are throwing out (unused of course).
- Note: I only give my students red, yellow and blue (primary colors) so they have to learn how to mix and make the other colors. Yes, Kindergarteners can do this...although I go slower and sometimes only do one secondary color at a time so they understand the correct way to use the tools at hand.

5. During class I have students stay seated once they start painting. I switch out water usually only once. I teach them how to use their towels to make sure their brushes are clean. I keep extra cups filled with water so I switch them and it doesn't interrupt their painting time. I found by doing this, it eliminates students from playing in the water, messes and potentially ruining art due to spills.

6. Clean-up: I have 3 sinks in my classroom so it's nice because I can have one sink for washing hands, one sink for cleaning paint brushes and water cups and one sink for cleaning mixing trays.

Organization - "Art Room"

As an art teacher, it's hard to keep things organized and we collect most everything. But, take the time to organize. It not only makes life easier for you, it shows your students respect for the supplies and things they will be using. Part of teaching great art concepts is teaching how to respect and use the medium at hand. 

Just a few tips that might help new art teachers:

1. Use clear containers to keep things organized because you can see what's in them.

2. Label containers in a way that you can change or replace the labels as you need to. I use colored tape and chalkboard stickers (they wipe off with water).

3. Keep like things together in cabinets. For example: markers, crayons and colored pencils. Adhesive products such as glue, tape. Etc...

4. Keep your closet organized with like items. For example: I keep all my weaving materials together. I keep all clay making things together. I keep all painting materials together. Etc...

5. Organize the art room in which supplies are spread out a little. For example I keep one area for pencils and erasers. Then another area of the classroom for markers, crayons, colored pencils, glue and scissors. These things we use often so they are out all the time. I also have them in buckets so kids can grab a bucket and go back to their tables. It helps with traffic flow. These areas are always away from medium that is used as needed.

6. Make sure to label things that students might get confused as to where they need to be placed when finished with.

Here are a few photos of my room this year. Keep in mind I change things around as needed or if I feel it's not the best layout for my students.

Overall Classroom View

Labels so students know
where to place things
when finished

Example of how I organize items used often

Colored bins for each grade level

Organization - technology

As an art teacher, you come to learn, really fast, how important it is to be organized. I work really hard to have an organized art room, etc... I'm always learning about new methods, that are helpful, and here is one that I'd like to share: 

Symbaloo - A screen shot of my symbol page.

Symbaloo 
(click link to view site)

This site allows you to save and store links to your favorite websites, etc... The screen shot (to the left) is an example of my page. 



Symbaloo, not only allows me to remember art sites, but keeps them all in one place so all I have to do is click the link. I can add and change them out when I need to. 

These are just a few of the sites I use, that you might also enjoy. Some of these do require subscriptions. 

Websites

Brainpop Jr.
Brainpop
Discovery Education
Artsonia
YouTube
Artist's Toolkit
PBS Learning Education

I also post videos, audio books and songs about artists/art concepts, too.

Videos/Songs/Audio Books:

Gustave Klimt
Red Grooms
Laurence Anholt
Primary Colors Song

1st Grade Portraits "Splat the Cat"

I truly love my little artists...the creativity, wonder and excitement that I see each and every day makes me a better artist and teacher myself. I love using books when teaching students about the different types of art - subject matter.  

Some amazing 1st grade artists in action!

"Splat the Cat" by Rob Scotton is a great book purr-fect for teaching the concept of portraits. Since most students think a portrait can only be of a person, it allows me the opportunity to teach the concept of portraits. 

These turned out so cute and I love how they are all different.

October Newslettter!

Happy October!  I'm excited to share our next newsletter - October Newsletter, check it out! 

To view the PDF, just click on the link above and download the PDF to you computer. You do not need dropbox or to install anything, just download the file.

2nd Grade Tree of Life bulletin board based on the art and artist Gustav Klimt.

2nd Grade - Klimt Tree of Life

These were so much fun to create and their art is absolutely amazing. Love the metallic oil pastels and acrylic paint against the black construction paper.  

This is one of the books I use when introducing students to Klimt - "The Magical Tree - A Children's Book Inspired by Gustav Klimt"

Gustav Klimt

This is a great video (link above)  to use when explaining the technique Klimt used in his art along with a little art history. 

Learning Targets

One thing you will see as we are learning and creating art will be our "learning targets" - What We Are Learning. Here's just one of the many things students are learning about and creating. 

Memory Sheet

One thing I have always used, is this memory sheet, to help guide students in the basics of what they will learn throughout the school year. Although I do add and change some of the cultures. It's a great basic guideline for any elementary art classroom. 

This image just shows the first page. The document includes both pages and has colored photos/images that make it easier to understand.  

Art Memory Sheet (click to see the sheets)