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SAFE

SAFE: meaning students are showing safe behavior with tools and materials, and their bodies.

NEVER throw things
NO running in the classroom
Hands to your self
Sitting in chair correctly
Using art room tools and supplies correctly

THOUGHTFUL:

THOUGHTFUL Simply…think of others. Students are being kind and considerate of one another. Some examples;

A student helps another student pick up some spilled paint without being asked
Always shares art supplies without a problem
Helps a friend find a glue stick/marker they dropped
Encourages someone if they see that they’re upset

ACCEPTING

Students are accepting of each other’s artistic and personal differences; Understand that we are all unique and have different ideas, and that it’s good to be different.

Use only positive language when talking about other people’s artwork
NEVER say anything mean about each other’s artwork or about each other in general

RESPECTFUL:

Students are respectful towards the teacher, each other, and the art room materials.

Listen to the teacher when she’s talking or giving directions/ NO talking during this time
Listen to others while they are talking
Using an appropriate voice level
Raise your hand if you have a question
Never draw on someone else’s artwork or hurt someone else’s artwork
Take care of the art supplies
Stop working and clean up when it’s clean up time
Give each other space when working and lining up

GENERAL RULES

SEATING CHART

When students arrive to class they sit at their table spot. I have name cards pre-made that are on tables where each student sits.

*The cards are used only for their 1st and 2nd art class.

TRANSITIONS/ ATTENTION GETTING/ CLAPPING

After kids are seated and I’m ready to introduce the lesson or continue with directions for the day, I clap the school clap, which is used district wide. Students know to respond by clapping the same clap back and look and listen.

LISTENING DURING INSTRUCTION

As you all know, listening during instruction is a BIG one. It’s a teacher’s number one pet peeve if a student is clearly not listening– or worse– chatting with another student! If I see that some kids aren’t listening or aren’t watching what I’m doing, I say to the whole class, “make sure you’re paying attention!

VOICE LEVEL/ PAINT PALETTES

Students know that they can talk during art making time, but that it needs to be at an indoor volume. Not recess volume. The signs face out spelling “ART” until I think the class is getting too noisy. If it’s too loud, I clap to get their attention, they do the same clap back and I explain that it’s too loud and I’m going to flip over the “A” to warning #1. If at some point it gets too loud again- I repeat clapping and tell students to quiet down again and flip over the “R” to warning #2. Students usually know I mean business when this happens, and quiet down.

If I have to clap a 3rd time, I flip over the “T” and the whole class has a silent art until the end of art. This definitely happens on occasion.

RAISING HANDS TO TALK

OK, this is an obvious one. Students shouldn’t blurt out when a teacher is talking. They are expected to raise their hands and wait to be called on. But, I often get a lot of hands up even BEFORE I explain anything once they sit down. Sound familiar?