My Classroom Narrative

Classroom Management Strategies

" Artist Eyes Artist Ears;

We are present we are here! "

Classroom management is proactive!

Our classroom runs best when we have routines, structure and expectations laid out clearly before us. Having a plan and being consistent are crucial for our environment.

4 areas of respect- Respect for Peers, Respect for Classsroom, Respect for Teacher, Respect for ourselves- give students the ability to co create what that means for them

We create and plan "what does respect look like to you?" as a group.

Giving responsibility

Yelling is not invited to the art classroom

One of my greatest challenges has been to manage my voice, as my students may struggle to manage theirs.

Setting Expectations

Stay consistent, and give plenty of reminders to help them succeed.

Reminders should start quiet, and always be direct but without emotional impact. We don't want to embarass or add noise to the class, so 2nd and 3rd warnings may result in quiet conversations in seats, or in the hallway.

Set understanding of classroom rule, not punishment

Use reminders that these are general expectations for the room and school, not personal attacks. Developing the rules as a class can also help remind of accountability to ourselves and the room. Having neutral statements (even humourous ones) that remind of our expectations can be great for middle school
“I have to meet this quota for phones this week.. Don’t let it be yours!”

Inviting in, not out

Relationship Building

How do I make a connection with my students to show care and strengthen social buy in?

Small groups

- Lunch Bunch

My lunch incentive is an art room lunch bunch- often I'll have a rotating sign up, and students are encouraged to join but must meet our expectations.

- Making art for our Classroom

Often, our students will design labels, posters, and artwork for our room. It helps, along with creating our rules of respect, to create a classroom we want to be responsible for since we create it together.

With my time at Marian Anderson, we even worked on a mural as an incentive program

- After school group
- Art Show

For 3 years, I piloted and ran the Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy Art Show. This art showcase had every student from all of my grades have artwork from throughout the year on display.

Explore topics related to what students are interested in, but also what I as a teacher are interested in.

Generating excitement from things the kids like to do is great, but I also ensure that the projects are things that I am excited about

Extracurricular participation

Field Trips
Other School clubs/events

Here, our Middle school students looked at principles of design as we made our own album covers. In this project, they're bringing in their own experiences, interests, and ideas

Students are responsible for making the signage, but also the rules and artwork that is to be posted in our classroom

Students worked on a mural with me on a biweekly rotating schedule. Students and their teachers would be asked to assess their behavior, and if satisfactory they could join me for a small painting group. They were assigned an area and could paint how they best saw fit

Each year, we try for a field trip within each grade band. While they can provide great incentives, they are also a necessary part of exploring our city and learning that education and art happens everywhere!

Constructivism & Process Based Learning

Process not Product

Listen first, lessons later

My lessons often revolve around a theme, but take notes from the students' interests from the year before, and leave room to be interpreted so that many students can use their personal interests within our theme.

Scaffolding

When we scaffold, we adjust appropriately for students of different ages and ability. My classroom has specifically focused on students that need learning support, or autism support.

Build in parts of the project that can be achieved reasonably; handouts that are mostly fill-in prompts

My projects are often multi-week projects, that may have smaller components to deepen understanding
These shorter components are ones that can grab interest, usually be completed in a day, and taken home

Ensure goals and objectives are developmentally appropriate, standards-based, but focused on understanding. Adjustments can always be made!

Playing Games and learning through open ended play encourages different modes of learning, and ability to make mistakes with less permanence.

Encourage “wrong responses” in the pursuit of an answer

Students can help support each other in finding correct answers
"wrong" answers can be encouraged with attempting or understanding their logic

Growth Mindset

" There is no mistake we can make in art class that we can’t try again or fix. "

We encourage self sufficiency and learning through our mistakes.

During Morning Meetings (Which I hold for every grade level) we take time to go over some of our studio habits that we practice, and stretching and exploring encompasses thr growth mindset we hope for.

In our classroom, the student is encouraged not to throw away the "messups". Rather, we keep them to compare and learn from our previous choices.

Emotional intelligence takes the forefront in our classroom. Being able to know your feelings, talk/think about them, and manage your own body and feelings are things we practice in our classroom.

Social, Behavioral, and Teaching Models & Frameworks

Educational Equity

CASEL

Restorative Practices

Visual Thinking Strategies

ABC Model

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