I have been observing in a Middle school art classroom and have seen some different management strategies in use. For starting the day my teacher would review what they learned in the previous class period, that is going to be useful for them in todays lesson. During this time she would engage the students by asking them questions, and showing them examples of what she was expecting of them. During the class period while the students are all at different stages of the lesson my teacher would walk around the classroom engaging students in questions about their work or giving some suggestions as well as complimenting them on aspects of their work that she really liked. Students felt free to approach the teacher anywhere in the classroom and show her their work to gain approval to move onto the next step. She made sure that she approved of each step before students could move on so that she was eliminating failure later on. While this may not be fun at the moment in time for students who have to make lots of changes, later they will appreciate the glowing review in front of not only the teacher but their peers as well. At the end of the class period the teacher reminds them of proper cleaning methods and gives them about 5 minutes to stop their work and clean up. The teacher went over the proper cleaning methods at the start of the class period so they only need a small reminder at the end plus she had written on the board the 4 steps for proper clean up so that students were confident in what their task ahead of them entailed. Even so some students failed to follow every cleaning procedure.
One of three transitions I observed was clean-up at the end of the day. The teacher gained everyones attention said they had five minutes to clean up and explained where she wanted their projects to be placed. Students knew they had five minutes and could use those five minutes to quickly finish the part they were working on and then clean up. This allowed for a calmer and lest frantic, chaotic transition out of class. Another transition I observed was when students went from step 1 to step 2 in their project. Students did not all finish at the same time or even within one class period but students knew to approach the teacher gain her approval to move onto the next step. Once they got her approval she explained to them individually where they could get supplies, if they needed her assistance with supplies she would be stationed at the ” distribution table” so she could hand out the supplies and approve of students work as they approached her. Since all students don’t work at the same pace no one feels rushed to finish their first step, and those that have know to just get up and talk to their teacher without interrupting their peers. When a student had to use the restroom the student knew to approach the teacher gain her permission and then grab the bathroom pass before leaving the classroom. Students know to approach the teacher to ask permission to go only after she is done with her lesson and they are beginning their project. This way students are not interupting the lesson and they are all present for her lesson. She tells student if they come in early to class that they should use their passing period to go to the bathroom cause they won’t get another chance till her lesson is done. This method allows for less interruptions and more productive classroom learning.
One strategy that I have observed that I would apply to my classroom would be the review at the beginning of the class period about the information they need to know to complete their current project, explaining the project including examples, as well as going over clean up procedures. This way students know right away what is expected of them and they learn what they need to know for their current project. Students like to know what they are doing that day, what is expected from them, and to be reminded of what they were just taught. This allows for less questions through out the day about what a “complimentary color is?” and ” which complimentary colors go together?” By reviewing what complimentary colors are and which ones go together the students will hopefully be listening and paying attention and thus won’t have to ask that questions so many times through out the project in which they have to use a complimentary pair to paint a picture. Less drama for the teacher and less drama for the students.
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