The K-4 art classroom in which I am stationed is clean and very
organized. All of the materials are easily accessible and the students know
exactly where to find everything they need. Supplies are stored in cabinets or
in plastic containers on shelves in the room. The teacher asks select students
to both distribute the supplies to other students and to put them away when
class is over. The permission of students to do these distributions is executed
in a way that makes the students see it as a privilege because it is presented
as a reward for good behavior. This is an incredibly effective strategy that
helps the kids appreciate being responsible for the supplies provided for them
by the school. If I decide that I want to teach elementary school art I will
absolutely make use of what I've learned here.
The teacher often says "Clap your hands once if you can
hear me!", which I think is a clever strategy for getting their attention
and keeping them on task. She also frequently thanks "those of you in the
class who are keeping your voices at zero!" and sometimes gives verbal
recognition to particularly well behaved students. This seems to make the rest
of the class seek that same positive attention, at least for a few minutes. If
the students are able to keep the noise level at "zero" for an
extended period of time, the instructor allows them to move up to a "level
one." This means they may speak quietly to each other. However, this
usually escalates to a fairly noisy room within minutes, and the teacher
usually has to move it back down to level zero.The children are initially allowed to sit at their desks, but this sometimes proves to be distracting so the teacher moves them all to "the carpet" if they are not on their best behavior. This large rug is located in the front of the classroom very close to the board and has rows of squares big enough to seat one child per square side by side. The kids know that if they have to sit on the carpet, the teacher means business. It proves to be a very useful device in keeping them focused when the teacher is explaining the lesson. It also allowed them to get an up close look at what is being shown on the board. This doesn't happen very often, but children who are way out of line during class are sometimes sent to sit in one of the carpet squares by themselves away from the rest of the class, sort of like a time-out. After a few minutes, the teacher will ask them if they are ready to sit back in their seat and if she thinks they have calmed down she will let them do so. I have never seen a student be sent to the carpet and not come back minding their P's and Q's.
In my classroom there is a system in place through which the students can earn or lose stars based upon behavior. If they earn all three stars and keep them until the end of class, they get what is called the class "Braggin' Dragon." If they accumulate enough of these "Dragons," they get special privileges such as candy, pizza parties, or even a walking field trip to Taco Bell. These extrinsic rewards seem to be very encouraging for some students, but because they are not immediate or tangible I think that many of the young kids forget they are supposed to be working together to obtain them. It might be more effective for the teacher to give out small candies or stickers to particularly well behaved students. If the rowdier children see that they could have immediate gratification like their classmates, they might be more inclined to settle down.
From what I have observed, the teacher is the primary rule-maker of the class. Students are most frequently disciplined for repeatedly talking or distracting their neighbor after being asked at least once to stop. Discipline is executed by either moving the problematic child to another table or moving the child to the carpet. If multiple students are misbehaving, the teacher will either ask them to stay at a level zero or take away one star. I have never seen a child sent to the office or removed from the classroom. The classroom management strategies in place seem to be very effective.
Assessment is primarily based upon whether or not the students do their work. At this age, all of the students have varying levels of ability and I agree with the teacher that to grade them based upon effort at this point would be pointless and probably result in lots of angry parents. The students keep all their assignments in their own hand-made folder and are allowed to take their folders home to their parents at the end of the unit. Feedback occurs almost entirely in class on a personal level between teacher and student. From what I have observed, the students like to explain their art-making decisions aloud to the teacher and her helpers in class. We make sure to point out their strengths and very gently make suggestions in areas in which there is room for improvement. Sometimes other students will chime in and comment on each other’s work. Surprisingly, most of them have only encouraging and positive things to say, which is a beautiful thing in my opinion.
