Classroom Management Philosophy
It is my belief that an art classroom should be safe, inviting, and a stimulating environment in which to learn. Art classrooms tend to require freedom of movement, frequent collaboration, and a lot of different tools and materials. Because of this, it can sometimes be challenging to create and maintain a safe, inviting, and stimulating space. In order to achieve this kind of environment in an art room, one needs to have well developed and at times evolving classroom management strategies. I believe that classroom management should be primarily considered a prevention strategy and that proactive techniques should be used to decrease the likelihood of problematic behavior instead of using mainly reactive measures after difficult behavior arises. While I am most certainly still learning classroom management skills every day that I teach, I do have some tactics that I have found successful while I was student teaching, as well as while I was an educator in k-12 schools for a local non-profit:
Have a predictable and organized space. If materials are organized and where everyone is expecting them to be, it makes it easier for students to easily find and care for them. I like to have spaces to store wet and dry materials separately. I try to make spaces where students sit in groups so that they can interact, share materials, and collaborate easily while working. I have also learned that regardless of the age being taught, it is helpful to have a separate area for students who need to take an emotional or mental health break. Having comfortable seating and mindless coloring activities in this separate area is important in my classroom.
Set up a routine for when students enter the room. Whether I am teaching 5-year-olds or 15-year-olds, I find it important to greet students at the door or as they enter the classroom. It builds rapport and helps them transition to class. I have also found that students respond well to a predictable routine to start class. This may include providing immediate tasks/expectations upon entering the room, such as grabbing their folder from their class shelf, grabbing a pencil. I also like to start every class off with a brief review of what they did the class before.
Make clear what the day’s goals/expectations are. For students to meet my expectations, it is important that they know what they are. I like to set a goal for each class and be clear about the long-term timeline so that students know what they are working on now and what they are working towards.
Be aware of how I use tone, volume, body language and proximity. As someone who was a foster parent, has worked as a sexual assault educator, and has student taught, I have realized that yelling is generally not a necessary or effective strategy. Keeping my volume low and just varying tone often serves me better than yelling to communicate what my expectations are. I have also learned that having a long conversation about every behavior issue is unrealistic, and that looking at a student or going to stand near the students engaging in undesirable behavior can be just as successful at times.
Prepare ahead of time to account for potential struggles. A lot of undesirable behavior comes up when students are confused or overwhelmed. While it is impossible to foresee every potential challenge with a lesson plan or activity, I try my best to identify where some students may struggle with an activity and to make adjustments to the lesson plan or plan accommodations for students who may need them.
Use humor. I have been told by several students and my mentor teachers that my humor is an asset when diffusing situations. I try to use it to more gently correct behavior or to put people at ease. It is important to know my audience when using this management strategy though.
Catch them doing well. In general students like to hear that they are doing things correctly. I use positive reinforcement and praise whenever possible, as it builds trust and rewards desirable behavior.
Model the behavior that I wish to see. If I want my students to follow classroom rules like being respectful towards their peers and myself or cleaning up tools and work-spaces then I firmly believe that it is my job to model that for students.
I fully agree with Dr. Ross Greene’s position that “kids do well when they can,” and I feel that it is my job as a teacher to organize my space, regulate my own emotions, help students regulate their emotions, and be clear about expectations in order to help students do well.