In Ms. Selin’s Art Class:
On one of my observation days, Ms Selin started the art class out by having the students draw their names in block letters, in what is referred to as the ‘wild style’ in graffiti. These openers are part of the daily routine that she uses as a classroom management strategy. This transitioned effortlessly into a presentation on graffiti art with a video about a graffiti artist named ‘Scape’. A routine established of watching, discussion, and demonstration kept class running smoothly. This transitioned into more classwork and a closing routine of putting away supplies in the last five minutes of class.
The transitions between the different sections of class were made much easier through routine, so when new project structures are introduced, the students have a library of behaviors from which to make predictions about future expected behaviors.
In my own classroom, I am very interested in establishing routines that can help students be in charge of themselves and their learning environment (i.e., putting their own supplies away rather than the teacher doing it).