Classroom Management Tips
We work with children that face difficult circumstances. Our team has come up with some best practices to enforce during your time in the classroom
Always provide consistent time markers: You want to give the kids enough time to create. It’s okay if you don’t hit every single item on your agenda, so it is essential to be willing to be flexible. Start with “You have 30 minutes remaining” and then “You have 20 minutes remaining” and so on. This method will allow our kids to make conscious decisions regarding their art.
Provide a small “back-pocket” project for early finishers: Not all of the kids you have will be into the project for the day, and that’s okay! If you need some inspiration for a few short projects, take a look at our project guide located under the “New Artist” tab, where you can find a guide of some popular projects we have done in the past. Generally, the staff member working with you will have coloring pages and a few mark-making tools on hand, so don’t worry if you’re struggling to come up with supplemental materials.
Pinks and Oranges and Greens, Oh My!: Doling out paint can be tricky, especially when there are a lot of kids and you want them to feel inspired by all of the colors we have to offer. The easiest way that we have found to disperse paint is to set out commonly used colors for a group to share and relish as needed. You can also set out primary colors and provide separate tins for mixing. If you have a smaller and calmer group, you may feel comfortable enough to allow them to request colors, but this can get overwhelming quickly.
“I wonder why” or “I noticed that”: We are not Art Therapists, but we do want to engage with children and their work. Avoid empty praises such as “That’s amazing” or “Good job” as they can hold very little weight to a child. Instead, encourage process-orientated conversation. Instead of simply saying “I love your art,” try “I noticed that you used a lot of greens and purples,” or “I wonder why you chose to use markers instead of paint,” or even “How do you feel about your piece?” Small changes such as these can facilitate more meaningful conversations with kids. For more tips on talking to kids about their art, click the link: https://artfulparent.com/how-to-talk-about-art/