Is it too soon to cheer?

*Image from www.todaysteacher.com

A new school, new students, new room. Pretty much new everything. I'm in the process of ordering art supplies for this year and when I was told the budget a big smile came across my face. I'm so fortunate to landed in a place where I have such great resources accessible to me. I feel like I'm on a shopping spree, actually being able to order all the things I'd like for my students.
Although, I must say that the expression about the hardest steel is only forged through fire is very true. As thankful as I am for my current job, with all the bells and whistles, I am just as thankful for my past experiences, which sometimes were, let's just say, challenging. If you think about it, it's really through those tough times and the situations where you look around and all you have is 17 blue markers and toilet paper rolls, that you really push yourself to rise above your circumstances. I have to always remember not to get comfortable and to always push myself. Those of you that are out there everyday making great art programs out of underfunded and under-resourced areas deserve to be commended, it's easy to do a lot with a lot, but it isn't easy do to a lot with a little. Kudos to you and don't give up!


Now that I've completely digressed....I originally wanted to post my first art class activity. So far its been going pretty well. For my 3rd-5th graders I've come up with an art scavenger hunt. Like I had mentioned, I'm new to the students and they're new to the way I operate the art room, so what better way to get them acclimated to the rules, routines, and procedures I use then to let them figure it our by themselves.
Basically I go into the hallway to greet them, I let them know that in order to enter the room they need to be invited in, and to get an invitation, they need to be waiting silently in straight lines. They enter, sit at their seats (which are numbered and color coded) and then I have them come up to the front where they sit on the floor by the blackboard. I talk about transitioning and how it should only take 30 seconds or so and should be done silently. I then have them return to their seats and work as a group at their table to complete the handout. It's about 10 questions which include getting them used to the reading and writing center, finding the art rules and picking one they feel is the most important, identifying my volume level chart and the class green, yellow, red, chart, and choosing and identifying consequences for inappropriate behavior. I set a timer and when the timer goes off, they return to the front and we go over their answers. It's a perfect activity for a 40 minute period and it sets the foundation for classroom management, which is my primary goal this year. I have the lesson and worksheet I made up so if you are interested you can leave me a comment and I can email you the lesson.