Behavior Management
As an art educator my hope is that my classroom serves as a safe and welcoming environment that promotes a love of both art and learning for all students. Seating is ideally arranged in a formation that enables all students’ visible access. This type of seating arrangement also enables me to quickly informally assess the entire class’ progress with one visual sweep around the room.
I have found that a highly structured classroom that uses positive reinforcement supports a productive and happy educational environment. Reinforcing and rewarding positive contributions and behaviors, especially when not expected, both promotes future positive behaviors and supports student self-esteem. Clear and visible rules, goals and expectations are always posted and verbalized.
Upon entering the classroom students are always verbally welcomed and reminded of the task on hand for that day. The students are aware of the behavioral expectations of the class, because these are discussed in detail during the first class of the school year and expectations are visually located throughout the classroom. I have one main rule for my classroom: RESPECT. Respect encompasses the respect of others, the classroom, and themselves. What respect means and what it entails is thoroughly discussed. In addition to my number one rule, students are involved in formulating 2-3 additional rules for the classroom. I have found that this involvement both assists the students in remembering classroom rules and also demonstrates that I value their presence and opinion. Finally, in some classroom environments parents are informed of our classroom expectations and rules through a newsletter and students must sign a behavioral contract that their guardians are also required to sign.
Remaining consistent is imperative. When rules have been established they should be enforced. Consequences for inappropriate behavior apply to all students, without exceptions. Both through the behavior contract that they signed in the beginning of the year and in the visual signage throughout the classroom, students are informed of the hierarchy of consequences for both positive and negative behaviors. When negative behaviors occur I first engage in low-profile intervention. Quiet, quick, and immediate reprimands that do not aim to humiliate the student are always preferable, especially for low harm actions (ex. whispering to a classmate). I never want to reward the student with excessive attention for bad behavior, nor take attention away from the rest of the class who have earned my attention by respecting the classroom rules. Repeated offenses will result in written reprimands and continual negative behaviors and/or severe negative behaviors will result in parental and administrative involvement.
As an art educator my hope is that my classroom serves as a safe and welcoming environment that promotes a love of both art and learning for all students. Seating is ideally arranged in a formation that enables all students’ visible access. This type of seating arrangement also enables me to quickly informally assess the entire class’ progress with one visual sweep around the room.
I have found that a highly structured classroom that uses positive reinforcement supports a productive and happy educational environment. Reinforcing and rewarding positive contributions and behaviors, especially when not expected, both promotes future positive behaviors and supports student self-esteem. Clear and visible rules, goals and expectations are always posted and verbalized.
Upon entering the classroom students are always verbally welcomed and reminded of the task on hand for that day. The students are aware of the behavioral expectations of the class, because these are discussed in detail during the first class of the school year and expectations are visually located throughout the classroom. I have one main rule for my classroom: RESPECT. Respect encompasses the respect of others, the classroom, and themselves. What respect means and what it entails is thoroughly discussed. In addition to my number one rule, students are involved in formulating 2-3 additional rules for the classroom. I have found that this involvement both assists the students in remembering classroom rules and also demonstrates that I value their presence and opinion. Finally, in some classroom environments parents are informed of our classroom expectations and rules through a newsletter and students must sign a behavioral contract that their guardians are also required to sign.
Remaining consistent is imperative. When rules have been established they should be enforced. Consequences for inappropriate behavior apply to all students, without exceptions. Both through the behavior contract that they signed in the beginning of the year and in the visual signage throughout the classroom, students are informed of the hierarchy of consequences for both positive and negative behaviors. When negative behaviors occur I first engage in low-profile intervention. Quiet, quick, and immediate reprimands that do not aim to humiliate the student are always preferable, especially for low harm actions (ex. whispering to a classmate). I never want to reward the student with excessive attention for bad behavior, nor take attention away from the rest of the class who have earned my attention by respecting the classroom rules. Repeated offenses will result in written reprimands and continual negative behaviors and/or severe negative behaviors will result in parental and administrative involvement.