Art Classroom Management Tips

Elementary students are naturally full of energy and enthusiasm, which often seems to DOUBLE during Art class. As fun as this sounds, it means we, the art teachers, need to channel this whirlwind of enthusiasm productively. So, let’s dive into classroom management tips for setting goals, crafting rules, and establishing routines that transform chaotic creativity into masterpieces of learning and respect.

CLASS GOALS

Think of classroom goals as the blueprint for our artistic adventure—a collective vision that drives and inspires. For the little ones, it's like sketching out their dream classroom. We sit in a circle and chat about what makes our art space special and welcoming. For the older crew, it's more about crafting a mission statement that acts like our class's personal motto—fueling our collaborative spirit to paint, sculpt, and create harmoniously.

Some Possible Classroom Goals

• Participate and share your ideas

• Always try your best

• Persevere—no giving up here!

• Learn from mistakes

• Try new things

• Listen actively

• Make choices that make us proud

• Be safe and responsible

• Be creative every day

• Support and help one another

• Respect yourself and others

• Work together as a team

Setting Goals

We kick things off by brainstorming, a whole-class activity where every student’s idea is considered. We jot all these wonderful ideas on the board, mix and match similar ones, and then, in small groups, pick our top five or six to champion throughout the year. And what’s a goal without a visual reminder? We create a vibrant poster displaying our class’s mission statement, our daily dose of inspiration!

CLASSROOM RULES

Once our goals are set, we need a game plan to achieve them. Enter classroom rules: these are our step-by-step guide to making sure everyone’s on the same page. Simple, positive, and clear, these rules are the everyday actionable steps we need to take to achieve our goals.

Examples of Classroom Rules:

• Eyes and ears on the speaker.

• Raise your hand to speak.

• Use materials correctly.

• Follow directions.

• Sit and stay in your seat.

• Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

• Work quietly.

• Be kind to others.

Rules for older students can include:

•      Pay attention when others are talking.

•      Wait for your turn to talk.

•      Handle classroom supplies with care.

•      Keep noise to a minimum during work time.

•      Respect everyone’s space 

•      Only move around with permission.

•      Come prepared with all needed materials.

•      Help keep our space clean and organized.

•      Treat everyone with kindness and respect their ideas.

Crafting Classroom Rules

We gather again, this time to hammer out the specifics of how we behave and interact. We define what each rule looks like in action, and for a little extra ownership, we might even turn our agreed-upon rules into a signed class contract for the older students, adding a sense of commitment. Introduce the rules during the first week of school and regularly review them. And right next to our Goals Poster, we display our Rules Poster for easy reference.

When Rules are Broken

Mistakes happen, and that’s okay! If a rule is forgotten, we gently remind and reconnect the action to our goals. We discuss what happened and explore what needs to change, always focusing on positive reinforcement to nurture a culture of respect and responsibility.

Consider these extra tips:

• Encourage students to create if/then statements to relate rules to goals, e.g., "If I don’t listen when someone is speaking, then I’m not showing respect."

• Ask students who break a rule to read it aloud and discuss how they can correct their behavior.

• Don’t forget to shower them with praise and compliments! Celebrating when they follow the rules really boosts their spirit and encourages them to keep it up.

• Be consistent with consequences that make sense. If rules are broken, try to address it in a way that feels fair and helps everyone learn from the experience.

PROCEDURES and ROUTINES

We started with setting goals, then created some classroom rules to help us reach those goals. Our last step is to establish procedures and routines for daily tasks that keep us organized and focused. From entering the classroom to cleanup time, each procedure is rehearsed to perfection, transforming everyday tasks into routines and getting our art class running like a well-oiled machine.

Examples of Basic Procedures:

Entering the Classroom

1. Say hello or smile.

2. Sit down quietly.

3. Look at the teacher.

Line-up Procedure

1. Stand in a straight line.

2. Eyes forward.

3. Mouths closed.

4. Hands at your side.

Clean-up Procedure

1. Stop what you’re doing.

2. Hand in your work.

3. Store art supplies.

4. Clean up trash.

5. Sit and smile – you’re finished!

Of course, these are just some basic ideas for procedures to help you write your own.  Make sure to write short, clear phrases because, yep that’s right, we are going to make more posters! Don’t worry, these ones are just temporary. Once the procedure is learned and becomes a routine, you can take the poster down (but keep it nearby, you may need to review it after a long break).

Make sure to have a procedure for getting the students’ attention. This will save class time, as well as your voice. You can use a bell, chime, or rainstick when you want the class to stop what they are doing and look at you. With the little ones, you can say, “ 1, 2, 3, eyes on me.” and students reply (pointing to their eyes) “1, 2, eyes on you.”

Mona Lisa Smile Procedure

Print the Mona Lisa and use the image for this fun procedure.

When the teacher says, “Show me your Mona Lisa smile,” or “Smile Mona Lisa.”

Students:

1 Look forward,

2 Cross your hands,

3 And smile.

Reinforcing Procedures

We introduce, demonstrate, and practice our procedures diligently. It might take several tries (or a dozen!), but we stick with it. Celebrating when a procedure becomes a routine helps everyone feel empowered and connected—key ingredients for a thriving artistic community.

A Masterpiece in the Making

Establishing a structured, respectful, and creative classroom environment takes time and patience, but the payoff is immense. As we blend goals, rules, and procedures into our daily routine, we create not just a caring classroom community, but young artists who are responsible, respectful, and ready to make their own masterpieces!

Need a little help getting started? Click here for some FREE POSTER TEMPLATES for goals, rules, and procedures to use in your classroom.

Want to learn more? There are lots of great books out there written by some amazing educational experts on this subject. Here are a few of my favorites:

The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong

Responsive Classroom for Music, Art, PE, and other Special Areas from Responsive Classroom

Classroom Management for Art, Music, and PE Teachers by Michael Linsin