Mrs. T's Art Room
  • Mrs. T's Blog
  • Arts Integration
    • HOT Blocks
    • HOT Block Resources
    • Arts Integration Resources
  • Get Connected
    • Art Teacher Resources
    • Ed Tech Resources
    • Twitter for Educators
  • Professional Development
  • Other Sites

6 Ideas: Student Independence in the Art Studio

5/8/2018

0 Comments

 
Managing materials and supplies in an elementary school art room can be difficult! Since students in my art room choose what to create, they need to be able to set up and clean up their work spaces. Here are a few ways I set up different centers to help my 2nd through 5th grade kids to work independently.


Make it easy for students to help themselves, within limits​
​
When I first set up these places for students to help themselves to construction paper, a student said to me, “Mrs. T, you are getting better every day!” That made me smile! Students were happy to have more choice in their art studio. If you spend time in the beginning of the year showing students how to set up and clean up their workspace, they have more ownership of their work.
Picture
Create a basic supply table or space

​
Right next to the supplies, add photos of how the materials and tools should look like when put away properly. This helps students know exactly what “cleaned up” should look like when class is over. You cannot assume that students will know what your expectation of “cleaned up” looks like!
Picture
Help students learn how to be independent and responsible

​
Obviously, re-teach and review procedures as needed. As teachers, we can determine what each class needs and which students might need more practice or direction. Steps can be listed on the wall of the center, or you can create smaller versions for students to take to their workspace. ​
Picture
Create videos to ensure each class gets the same instructions

​
If you need to re-teach, you could do it “live, in person” for a small group, or just show the video to the whole class again. Try to keep your videos three minutes or less. It is better to make two shorter videos than one big, long one.
Sharp pencils and the “sharpen me” basket

​
This cuts down on, “I need to sharpen my pencil” requests. Set up your pencils this way! Have a bucket with sharp pencils, and a basket for pencils that need sharpening. Students can take a sharp one, when they return it, they need to decide where it should go!
Picture
Have other students help when their classmates need a reminder

​
Many times, when a student asks me where something is (or where it should be put away), I don’t answer if this is something they should know. Nearby students help their friend! Bonus: I am no longer the only “teacher” in the room!

Do you have any other ideas to increase student independence in the art studio? Let chat on Twitter, or leave a comment below!
​
​This post was first published on Education Closet.
Art Teacher Blogs This post is a part of The Art Ed Blogger's Network: Monthly Tips and Inspiration from Art Teacher Blogs. On the first Tuesday each month, each of these art teacher blogs will post their best ideas on the same topic.

Participating Art Teacher Blogs:

  • Art Class Curator
  • Art Ed Guru
  • Art is Basic
  • Art Room Blog
  • Art Teacher Tales
  • Art with Mr. E
  • Arte a Scuola
  • Artful Artsy Amy
  • Capitol of Creativity
  • Create Art with ME
  • MiniMatisse
  • Mona Lisa Lives Here
  • Mr. Calvert's Art Room Happenings
  • Mrs. Boudreaux's Amazing Art Room
  • Mrs. T's Art Room
  • Ms. Nasser’s Art Studio
  • Party in the Art Room
  • shine brite zamorano
  • Tales from the Traveling Art Teacher
  • There's a Dragon in my Art Room
0 Comments

Eliminate Early Finishers with Choice!

4/10/2018

0 Comments

 
It is not every year that I’ve turned my teaching career on its head and changed my teaching strategy (thank goodness!) but that is what I did last year.

I’ve been teaching for 30-ish years, and because of connections I’ve made with other teachers online, I changed my elementary art classroom from a teacher-directed space to choice-based and student centered. How did this happen? I learned from other teachers who challenged my ideas and made me reflect on my teaching, student responsibility and my entire teaching philosophy.

How on earth did this happen? I have been teaching a long time… I should be set in my ways, right?


Well, no.


I’m a lifelong learner. Gimme a challenge and I’m up for it. I know how students feel learning something new because I do it all the time.

And where do I learn new things? On Twitter. Really! There are lots of people who use Twitter, *ahem* for GOOD things, like healthy discussions and learning. Proper discourse where you LISTEN (well, read – you know what I mean!) so that you can see the other side of issues, teaching strategies, about many different topics.  I have created my own fabulous PLN (Professional Learning Network) of educators around the world.  

So, one day on Twitter I noticed some of my art teacher Tweeps (Twitter Peeps) were having a discussion, AKA “chat” with the #TABchat hashtag. I thought, “What’s this all about?” So I read as they Tweeted about their experiences with  Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB).

Imagine my surprise when these art teachers, who I discussed lots of art room issues with over a few years, were discussing how their students CHOSE what to create in the art room. Choice? Student CHOICE in the art room? You mean all the students were NOT creating the same THING???

Picture
Cute, but all the same.
It literally blew my mind.


“What the heck are they THINKING?” I thought. “How could that actually WORK in an elementary art room?” Honestly, I was part horrified and but part curious.


So, I followed that chat and learned about TAB and choice based classrooms. I spent the next three years or so giving my students more choice. I mulled over and reflected on my teaching… a lot. Changing my teaching strategy and my entire teaching philosophy is definitely not something to jump into without a lot of thought.


When I took art workshops and classes, I thought, “I wouldn’t want to create something step-by-step with the teacher – I’d want to create my own thing!” (Yeah, no paint and sip classes for me! To each her own.) I began to realize that I would not want to be a student in my classroom. What a revelation. I was part horrified and part curious- again. Moving towards choice for my elementary students was the right thing to do.


I set up different centers for students, such as drawing, painting, collage and clay. When I opened a center, the mini-lesson informed students what was in the center, how to use it, and how to put it away. Once a few centers were open, mini-lessons became an opportunity for students to learn about an artist, a new way to use materials, supplies or tools.

​
Picture
All drawings, all different.
Student engagement went through the roof. I was able to have meaningful conversations with students about their work and their choices about their work. I witnessed students owning their learning. Students learned from their peers, now there wasn’t one expert in the room, there were many!

Think about it: are you set in your ways? Are you still learning? Reflection and self-assessment are important for all learners: children and adults.


What can your students teach you? Will you change anything in your teaching strategy?
​


Let me know in the comments below!



This post was first published as A New Year, a New Teaching Strategy? on EdCloset

This post is a part of The Art Ed Blogger's Network: Monthly Tips and Inspiration from Art Teacher Blogs. On the first Tuesday each month, each of these art teacher blogs will post their best ideas on the same topic.

Participating Art Teacher Blogs:

  • Art Class Curator - Artists That Inspire
  • Art Ed Guru
  • Art is Basic
  • Art Room Blog
  • Art with Mr. E
  • Artful Artsy Amy
  • Capitol of Creativity
  • Create Art with ME
  • MiniMatisse
  • Mr. Calvert's Art Room Happenings
  • Mrs. Boudreaux's Amazing Art Room
  • Mrs. T's Art Room
  • Party in the Art Room
  • shine brite zamorano
  • Tales from the Traveling Art Teacher
  • Mona Lisa Lives Here
  • Art Teacher Tales
  • Ms Nasser’s Art Studio
  • Arte a Scuola
  • There's a Dragon in my Art Room
0 Comments

    Amy Traggianese

    Visual art and arts integration with a techie twist!
     
    I don't like disclaimers, but: none of my ideas expressed in this blog post or website are supported or endorsed in any manner by my employer or anyone else. I just write it as I see it, and that is that.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

    Opt Out of Cookies
    Picture

    Archives

    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013

    Categories

    All
    Art Ed Bloggers Network
    Arts Integration
    Bottle Cap Mural
    Cave Art
    CCSS
    Choice Art Studio (TAB)
    EdCamp
    EdTech
    First Grade
    GAFE
    Henna
    NCAS
    NGSS
    Online Resources
    PLN
    STEAM
    Teaching Art
    Twitter
    Video
    What Is Art?

    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    This page contains affiliate links from Amazon.
    We earn a small percentage of the sales made through these links at no extra cost to you.
    Thanks for your support.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.