Classroom Preparation and Organization

A successful classroom is organized and prepared from the very beginning of the year. Your year is determined by the way you start it and you have to start everything right at the beginning otherwise students will not know what to expect everyday. Having the needed materials and having them set up appropriately in your classroom takes time and and takes thought. For an art classroom, materials are the number one thing that is needed in order to create art. Many times though, the budget for materials is small and the cost of materials is high. Fortunately I have learned from some Art Veterans how to expand this budget and get materials in other ways. With the budget that the school gives, I would use it to by construction paper, glue, scissors, markers, colored pencils erasers, paint brushes and whatever other basics I could fit into the budget price. For all of the other items that the budget doesn't buy, I have been told that asking parents for donations is the next best thing. First, you have to establish a relationship with the parents in your community as well as the local business's in order to ask for donations. Second, if a particular item is wanted, be specific and include photo's so parents know where their money is going. Also explain how you will use these materials for the specific projects so they know the purpose as well. Items that I would try to get donated would be the not necessary items like expensive drawing or multi purpose paper, nice paints and brushes, oil pastels, and other items that would be great for a classroom but I do not necessarily need right away or if there isn' t enough money in the budget.

The organization on your classroom and materials also sets the students up for success. From what I learned in my education courses, having good traffic flow is important. In my classroom, I will sit students into groups as apposed to individual desks. Students in the art room regularly work together so tables make more sense to have. I will set these tables up in a way that allows students to easily move around the classroom, gather materials and that aren't too close to the door as that is a distraction and full visibility for everyone. Tables will be arranged so no one is not facing the front of the classroom as that can be a distraction to their learning. Tables will also be as far away from the door so there is less distraction from people walking in and out and also does not block the high traffic area.

The first day of school is important in setting the tone for the year and there are a few things that you have to establish early for the flow to go smooth. Being a "specials" teacher, my first day is different than many other teacher's first day. To prepare, I will be putting up artwork, prepping my bulletin boards, organizing my materials, and arranging the room that best works for the many groups of kids I will have. I will also make sure that I have a folder of substitute projects incase a sub is ever in the classroom. Usually, these activities are projects that will only take 45 minutes to complete and will have step by step instructions so the sub doesn't feel overwhelmed. Another action that must be done in the beginning of the year is deciding and contacting parents right from the start. Many schools are using class dojo, if elementary, and I would definitely use this resource to get and keep in touch with parents through the year. I can also ask for donations on this resource as well but I would first have to create a positive relationship with parents in the beginning so they know how much I care about their kids and their art. If class dojo is not available, then the next best thing is email and a google website.

I would create a class list for each of the different grades and classes and send out a mass email for all of those parents with my website attached. Here is where I would post student's works, give updates and let the community know what it is that the art program may need to be successful. I would also attach this site to the school site under an Art category so it is easy to find and access. Emails would be used to update parents on the great things their kids are doing as well as the not so great things. From there, I would use a phone call or in person meeting, depending on the home situation, to talk about more important matters. Everyone's home situation is different and sometimes having any contact with a certain parent can have negative effects on the child so I have to make the decision to just not update that parent on their child for the sake of their personal safety and health.

Overall, the importance of the start of the school year and being sufficiently prepared can't be emphasized enough. This sets the tone for the rest of the year and it all starts by setting yourself up for success right from the start.

Reference idea images from Teacher Assisting semester