Wednesday, October 12, 2016

In the Art Room: Easy Way to Distribute Supplies

Since I'm hanging with AOE this week and sharing some tips and tricks, I thought I'd bypass on my usual Wednesday Art Teacherin' 101. Because, let's be honest, a little of me goes a very, VERY long way. 

So, let's talk about this cafeteria style routine I'm sharing. I wrote about it a while back in this here blog post and go into a little more depth on the why's and how's of this method. I don't do this every art class but with my 30 minute sessions, it really helps cut down on movin' around time and allows us more time to create. And, after all, that's what we're there for!

While in the hallway, I'll usually give them their "shopping list" of supplies to gather. So that they don't leave anything off their list, I'll usually have them do a call and response which I chat about here:
Once in the room, the kids move quickly to place their supplies on their tables, write their name and class code and meet me on the floor. It helps to have music playing as they do so or even a short video. I like to have something going on my big screen telly as it gets them excited to move quickly and join me on the floor. Also, short fun songs and videos give them a glimpse as to what they'll be learning that day. In an upcoming blog post, I'll share with you some of my very favorite art teacherin' videos to play for my students. By the way, here is a video tour of my art room I created for my younger students...
When I give instruction, I always have my kids gather on the floor, away from their supplies. I do this for a couple of reasons: it removes any distractions for the kids and allows them to focus. It also gives us a cozy feel. I don't have carpet on my floor (I love the look of carpet but I really am not a fan. To me they are like big sponges for germs to gather) and I've never had a child complain about sitting on the floor. Once the directions are given, the kids are free to head back to their seats and dive right in.
In other news, if you need a tool to help you manage your time with your students, I really love my Time Timer!

I hope that is helpful for you. What have you found to be the best way to have your students gather their supplies? I know I've tried giving the kids jobs and they are wonderful at it...it's just that their art teacher (ahem) is miserable at remembering routines. We do what works for us, right?! 
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2 comments:

  1. Thats interesting you use it to break down lessons into steps. I also break a lesson up but wouldnt want to commit a time limit because all groups have different speeds. Sometimes I will work with time to
    extend with a challenge or simplify for example

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  2. With my 30 minute classes, it helps to break my lessons down...in fact, I kinda have to. With my older students, we have "meeting" about half way through class to check out the next steps. This allows my early finishers to move on and my other kids to know what is in store :)

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