Cleanup Routine
This next artifact addresses materials and supplies, as well as transitions, both part of Managing Classroom Procedures (2c). This is part of Danielson's Domain #2: Classroom Environment.
In the art classroom, the distribution of materials and supplies is critical. A considerable portion of each class period is dedicated to set-up and clean-up. It is essential for a successful art teacher to implement set-up and cleanup-up procedures that minimize lost time while keeping the classroom clean and organized.
Recognizing the importance of such procedures, I successfully implemented a clean-up routine with my middle school students at Middleton. The words of my lead-teacher, Mrs. Oxford-Lyman, ring true that "if everyone does a little, no one has to do a lot." My clean-up routine assigned rotating chore duties to each table of four students. Each week my students had a different responsibility, shared with their table-mates. The chore might be washing off the tables, pushing in the stools, or organizing the supplies. Tables who completed their chore at the end of every class were rewarded with a point. These points went toward a class-wide competition for baked-goods treats, such as brownies. The first table to ten points won the treat, and then the tally was reset.
This routine ensured the care and keeping of our classroom while instilling a communal sense of responsibility for our tools and supplies. Most importantly, our routine kept clean-up time to a minimum while keeping our learning environment clean, safe, and tidy.
In the art classroom, the distribution of materials and supplies is critical. A considerable portion of each class period is dedicated to set-up and clean-up. It is essential for a successful art teacher to implement set-up and cleanup-up procedures that minimize lost time while keeping the classroom clean and organized.
Recognizing the importance of such procedures, I successfully implemented a clean-up routine with my middle school students at Middleton. The words of my lead-teacher, Mrs. Oxford-Lyman, ring true that "if everyone does a little, no one has to do a lot." My clean-up routine assigned rotating chore duties to each table of four students. Each week my students had a different responsibility, shared with their table-mates. The chore might be washing off the tables, pushing in the stools, or organizing the supplies. Tables who completed their chore at the end of every class were rewarded with a point. These points went toward a class-wide competition for baked-goods treats, such as brownies. The first table to ten points won the treat, and then the tally was reset.
This routine ensured the care and keeping of our classroom while instilling a communal sense of responsibility for our tools and supplies. Most importantly, our routine kept clean-up time to a minimum while keeping our learning environment clean, safe, and tidy.