Managing Arts in the Classroom By Joyce Payne

This How-To offers guidance for managing arts-related classroom projects.

Managing arts in the classroom or studio is slightly different than that of a regular classroom. Materials, processes, seating, storage, large and expensive equipment all have to be managed efficiently while teaching an effective lesson. The best solution to management and discipline problems is to start with an ordered, organized classroom and active student-centered lessons. The following suggestions will assist you in creating an effective arts management plan for your classroom.

Plan Ahead

• Make sure classroom materials and handouts are ready prior to the start of class. It is even more efficient to divide materials into team groups or to stack "alike" materials together. This avoids leaving students with nothing to do while waiting for you to distribute supplies or materials.
• Make creative use of containers. Plastic containers, boxes, or trays with materials for each workstation or group are efficient for distributing small items such as crayons, brushes, or music.
• Number containers to coordinate with the numbered tables or stations. This helps you and the students check the distribution and clean up of the materials.
• Create small groups or teams of students. Seat them in groups of cooperative teams, or in groups according to an area of involvement in the unit (i.e., actors, production, stage crew, painters).
• Create leadership assignments in each group Assign students roles like materials manager, clean-up manager, instructional assistant, and assignment checker. Rotate these assignments during the unit so all students have an opportunity to assist in all the roles. Student leadership roles assist you in the management of multi-task units, and create student ownership in the teaching and learning activities.

Organization and Space

• Observe traffic patterns in the class. Look for congested areas, and places where space is underutilized or taken up with seldom-used items. Remove obstacles and rearrange furniture and equipment to alleviate congestion. Remove excess equipment, papers, and other materials that are not currently in use to a storage area or unused area of the room.
• Ask older students to assist you in creating a more efficient room plan. Many times students create very effective and imaginative plans. This also creates a climate of student ownership of the room. Examine the classroom for possible storage areas. Ask the class to brainstorm storage ideas to help alleviate the problem.
• Adjust the storage of materials accordingly. Many problems arise when students put their materials all over the room because the storage is too high, too low, or full of materials not in use. Portable storage items can be used during the class and stored in another space after the class is over. Materials and equipment students are using should be easy for them to reach and use safely.
• Look at the visual organization of the room. Is the room so visually overcrowded (too many posters, etc.) that the students cannot see the "trees for the forest"? Many students (particularly dyslexic students) have difficulty concentrating when the room is too visually confusing.
• Remove materials that are not important. Rotate displays of posters. Remove overlapping posted materials in the classroom. Erase materials on the board that do not pertain to the current lesson.
• Give student work displayed in the room more importance than commercial posters. Student exhibit designers can assist in posting and keeping the displays current. This is also a great ongoing task for an arts club.

During the Teaching Activity

• Teach students what to do and how to do it. Demonstrate how to do simple things such as cleaning a paintbrush or stacking paper materials. Assumptions that students already know how to do certain tasks can lead to unnecessary discipline and management problems.
• Give directions both verbally and in writing either on the board or in handouts. Children vary in attention spans and retention abilities in trying to follow multi-step directions. Post steps and directions on the board, poster, or handout for quick reference by students during the length of the unit. Instruct students to write the directions in their notebooks for reference.
• Check individual students' understanding during independent practice. Intervention before a major error occurs assists students and avoids confrontation when the project is over and a student complains that "it's all wrong."
• Monitor clean up, and then summarize the lesson. Allow students time to clean up, return to their seats and settle down before reviewing the lesson and dismissing the class. Clean up and dismissal generally leads to materials being left out and high noise levels.

Discipline and Behavior

• Ask students to assist you in creating rules for classroom conduct. Keep the rules simple and direct. Create realistic and appropriate consequences for not following the rules.
• Post the rules and consequences in the room. Abide by the rules and consequences consistently. If a rule or consequence doesn't work, remove or change it. Be fair and predictable in praising or disciplining students.
• It is always better to use positive reinforcement than negative reinforcement. Reward your students verbally for proper behavior, attitude, and task-related procedures.
• Build a system that gives every student a chance at some degree of achievement. Make sure that no student is continually left out.
• Keep your voice and body language calm and normal when working with disruptive students. Your level of excitement or anger will only elevate the situation and raise the class' attention to the disruptive incident. If you detract peer attention from the disruption, a tense situation can be deflated.

The most important tool in successful teaching and management of a classroom is knowing your students well and letting them get to know you. A climate of mutual trust and respect is invaluable for a successful teacher.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joyce Payne is a noted educator and former Arts Supervisor for Prince George's County, Maryland.