Classroom layout
The layout presented is very simple but is often what you can expect in some high school art classrooms. With this, we have my desk, five tables, the inspiration station, storage room, and where students will place their artworks. When I start teaching, I plan to teach, art 1, art 2, and a 3D art that involves fibers, and soft sculpture. The storage area for 3D, art and certain supplies, will gear towards the soft sculpture and fibers. It’ll be a cased cabinet area that protects the work.
The drying rack works towards art 1 and 2 where they will be expected to create paintings both in acrylic and watercolor. Other works like oil pastel and charcoal drawings will be placed on there as well. Each table will be color coated as a way of being able to assign certain classroom responsibilities to students, such as cleaning materials, tables or passing out papers. We, of course, have the supply closet that will connect mine, and another teacher’s art rooms, and allow for us to get supplies needed for the class.
My desk will sit at the front, where I will be able to give instructions as well as demos on the overhead. Lastly, we have the inspiration station, this will include a large corkboard that will be filled with images, quotes, and poems that inspire students (approved by me of course). Alongside the inspiration station, that is apart of it will be a bookshelf that will contain art books of all kinds for students to gather ideas from, but also art history books. Each part of this classroom is vital in running it successfully, even the most simple of things such as sinks play an important role. I look forward to running my classroom and introducing these elements to my students.
The Classroom Plan
Classroom Rules/Norms are essential for an art classroom, especially when in a high school setting. Determining the classroom rules will be done by me, but also with my students. For example, certain rules such as cleaning up five minutes before the bell would be determined by me. This is something they will do at the end of every class period no matter if it’s simply a sketch or a major project that may include paints or something messier. When determining the rules and norms with my students, this will be done at the start of the year. Each class period will be able to come up with one rule, thus making seven class rules for the students to follow. We will take a large sheet of paper and come up with them together.
These may include answers such as “Be respectful to those around you” or “It’s okay to listen to music so long as we keep one headphone out”. Rules and norms as simple as these do make a difference. Having them help make these rules and norms at the start of the year helps them feel included and like they’re apart of the classroom. As apart of their norms they will be given duties. Each table will be responsible for certain tasks in the room, such as cleaning, passing out papers or even picking them. To make it fair it’ll rotate every week.
How I plan on communicating these rules/norms to students, will be through to clearly state them at the beginning of class each day, but also having it displayed at the front of the class for students to see. For administrators it would be the same, only they would be given a sheet that lays out the rules/norms of the classroom. This would include the seven or six rules created by the students, and the ones determined by me. State the process in which I took of having each class come up with one rule to be presented to the classes. This would also be done for the parents. In each case, I would clearly communicate them but also give a layout describing the process and showing the rules determined by the class and myself.
For classroom procedures, there will be few to start the class off and end it, but hopefully, allow for there to cause a routine. The first being that as students walk in, I will shake their hand greeting them with a smile. At the start of class, students will be expected to grab their sketchbooks and portfolio’s that they’ve made (this will include any major projects). With that, they will do the warm-up presented on the board. This will include either a prompt or statement they will have to follow on. This will only take at most five minutes, then they are expected to work on their projects. To end the class period, students will be expected five minutes before the bell to clean their area’s and put their materials away. With dealing with transitions and interruptions in an art classroom, it can be very tricky, more so with High school students. It calls for experimentation and seeing what will work in the end. When researching and observing teachers, I found what is known as the “Go” method. Where you say, “When I say go, I want you to…” and then present the instruction for that class. I do plan on using this method to not only see if it works but to also make the start of class a bit fun for my students. My goal in doing this is that they’ll wait until I say “go” before grabbing materials and begin working on the project or assignment.
Another I plan to use is hand signals for when students need to use the restroom or get water. The restroom signal will be figures crossed and water will be three fingers. This will allow my students to quietly get my attention and not interrupt/disturb other students who are working. As stated, before when explain rules/norms, students will be given five minutes before the bell to clean their area, possibly ten. This will be followed by giving specific instructions on how to clean the materials, and which tables are responsible for doing so. This procedure will be implemented through a chart that is color coated and explains in detail what each table is to do. There will be a table captain who will be picked every six weeks, as a way of changing things up, they will be responsible for making sure their table makes get supplies and their portfolio's.
Getting students within high school to be excited about an art class, despite ability, can be difficult. Not every student is there because they love art or because they’re wanting to learn some new skill. As a future art teacher, I’ve come to accept that, however, for those who are only there because they need the credit, I plan on trying to at least open their eyes to the idea that art is not just pencil and paper. That art is something that comes in many forms and has no right or wrong way when doing it. One way I play to encourage my students is through what I would like to call the Inspiration Station. A station where students can bring in quotes, images or poems that inspire them in life.
Another is to hang inspirational posters on my walls, that of quotes and artists that are just like them. Showing that one doesn’t have to be “talented” to produce a masterpiece. Seeing this will hopefully encourage students to make art. This will show them that art comes in different forms and isn’t just paint on a canvas. The hope of this is to improve classroom engagement, getting them to think and speak with one another. Asking questions where it’s needed.
Following this, a way I plan on maximizing the effectiveness of my classroom management is to do things such as demonstrating the behavior I want to see within the classroom. I will do this by making eye contact while talking, not interrupting another other, show that we can respectfully disagree at certain moments, and show students what good discussion looks like. By doing this, students will begin to mimic my behavior in the classroom. Although they may not consciously know it they will. I will, of course, do this at the first of the year and continue to do so. Another is to try and have an open classroom, to be honest with one another and let them know when we’re having a bad day and be clear about what needs to be done in order to succeed.
Getting students engaged within an art classroom, as well as involved, can seem difficult at times since not every student is willing to do the work or even consider art as a real class. That why I have a few tricks that may work. I would, of course, allow for welcoming space, if the students don’t feel welcomed in the classroom, they have a less likely chance of wanting to be involved in the class. Shaking their hand when they walk in and making it clear that getting messy at times is okay. That it’s okay to take risks in the classroom, more so with art, that it’s about experimentation and making ideas a reality. I would secondly provide opportunities for students to make more choices within my classroom. By giving my students an opportunity on how to approach their projects can help the creative process. I can do this by making certain projects a little more interesting. For example, each student will be expected to draw a Still Life, it can be boring in a sense, but allowing them to possibly add a fantasy element to it allows for their minds to expand on how to create a better composition while still understanding the techniques needed for a still life. Leaving projects open-ended will allow my students to create their own voice within the classroom.
Lastly, I would hang my student’s artwork on the walls of the school, but also in the classroom. I know and have accepted that not every student will feel confident in their work, nor will they feel a sense of pride when done with it. But by hanging up their artwork for the school to see, I’ll be able to build that well-deserved pride. They will look and see that someone is proud of their work to the point of wanting to explain it. This will see that art is not one unique technique, but is many, and comes in many forms. That they should be proud of all they create. Being a future art teacher, I know I will face many challenges, some small, and some large. But with a little grace and compassion, I know in my heart I can encourage any student to look at art in a greater matter. With this Classroom Management Plan I've made for myself, I will be able to refer back to it when needed. Reminding myself that every student is different and that being open to a new idea will allow for success within the classroom.
