3 Classroom Management Strategies My Kids LOVE!
- missbradyart
- Jul 31, 2018
- 4 min read
I want to share with you 3 of the classroom management strategies I am using in the art room that the kids are crazy about - Table Jobs, Blabber Brush, and Class Clip Chart.
Table Jobs
Cleaning up the art room is no easy task. Last year, I found myself either a) cleaning up after them myself and passing out materials myself or b) scolding them for their poor clean up and laziness when it came to gather ing their own materials. By the end of the year, my patience was wearing thin and that is when the "Table Jobs" bulletin board was born! I thought long and hard about 5 jobs (because I have 5 tables) that needed to be done each class. But, I also wanted those 5 jobs to be things that my students could manage on their own and find pride in completing. The 5 table jobs became: Chair Squad, Paper Passers, Floor Patrol, Table Cleaners, and Material Masters.
Chair Squad - Pushes in chairs at the end of class
Paper Passers - Pass out any worksheets, handouts, or finished projects
Floor Patrol - Check the floor at the end of class and pick up any trash and materials
Table Cleaners - Make sure table bins are looking spick and span and wipe off tables with wipes if necessary
Material Masters - Pass out materials during class and make sure they are put away properly
The numbers are thumbtacked on and I try to change them around every week. It's actually pretty funny to watch the kids come into class, look at the board to see what table has which job, and RUN to get to their favorite "table job" first!
The Blabber Brush
This. Technique. Is. Awesome. I owe it ALL to Mrs. Kaitlyn Edington, elementary art teacher and instagrammer (follow her on Instagram ASAP if you aren't already @artwithmrs.e DO IT!). She created the idea of the Blabber Brush, and I loved it, so I decided to try it. I am SO glad I did.
There are 3 noise levels for the students to work at and the paint brush...er..I mean...blabber brush points to the one that they should be using. No Voices, Whisper, Inside Voices. I use a magnet to move my blabber brush from one noise level to the next. However, I will say, that this technique has worked better with my lower elementary students.
Class Clip Chart and Clip Chart Stats
I was struggling to find a way to keep my students accountable and to show them that their individual behaviors can have an impact on their whole class. I tried various point systems that all worked for about a week or two then failed or fizzled out. So, I decided to connect my own class behavior plan with the ones they use in their own classrooms.
Each classroom teacher in our school has a clip chart. Each student has their name on a clothespin, they all start at the "dark green" level (good behavior). They can move down to light green (a warning), then light blue (safe place/move away from the class), then dark blue (going to the dean of students'/behavior interventionist). They can also move up to silver (great), then gold (role model student). I decided that I would create a clip chart that mimicked this, but put their teacher's names on the clothespins instead to symbolize their class. Their class starts on dark green and can move up or down.
My students are very competitive, and I knew I need to include some rewards and incentives for staying on dark green or reaching silver and/or gold. So, I made the "Clip Chart Stats" bulletin board! Each teacher's name is listed on a chart, and I have crayons in a box next to it corresponding with the colors we have on our clip chart. At the end of each class, a student or myself will color in a square by their teacher's name with the color their class ended on that day. Rewards range from a piece of candy to drawing games and websites. Speaking of which, if you aren't already offering www.artforkidshub.com as a free time/free art activity or reward for your class - you need to be! It is outstanding and the kids absolutely LOVE it!
Disclaimer: Not every strategy will work for you! I have tried and failed at many different things, and I am thankful that these strategies work for me and my students. However, you may try them and find that they aren't a good fit for your classroom. Also!! Do NOT be afraid to try a new strategy or routine mid year with with your students. Introduce the new classroom management by explaining to them, "Hey! We are going to try something new in here for a little while and see how it works!" They will be willing to hop on board with you, and they will surely offer their input if you ask for it. ;) This way, if it doesn't work out, you can pitch it without feeling like you're rocking their world too much. But if it does work...its glorious.
Comments