Choice Base Week In Art Class

Frankenstein and Free Art 

Upcycling in action

Every month all the grade level class strives to earn points in art class. It's a pretty simple concept that helps add another layer to creativity and behavior management  (10 points for K-K2 and 20 for 1st-5th).

 At the end of the month if each class keeps the points received at the top of the month by simply following the rules of the art room and the school based rules they have an art class during the last week of every month where they have a choice based art class using art centers. 



  Centers change depending on the season, the class points and supplies.  Students can rotate through each center for the entire hour or stay at their favorite one. Usually we have one table that is special because of the time of year or holiday coming up.  It is also special because classes that earn 5 more points have Special Free Art.  

Zebras and owls 

Special Free Art is not always earned by every class each which; helps the art room for a many reasons, my personal favorite is students who do a random act of kindness. For example: a student asked to have his seat moved because he knew where he was sitting would distract him because it was with his friend or a simple thing such as help another table clean up at the end of class, push in someone else’s chair, sweep or anything that goes above and beyond what I ask. 

It also set a positive example for other students that it’s not “un-cool” to help someone out when they drop a bucket of crayons instead of laughing at them.  It is nice to see them making an effort to work together instead of teasing, talking  during the lesson or sometimes even bulling.

 The First Elevated Train (made in art)

 Another reason is, art teachers do not always have the amount of supplies need for the number of students we teach or we lack certain supplies that an art room should have such as, enough clay or actual watercolor paper and paint for all the classes due to budget constraints which is something all school districts deal with especially inner city schools.  

Leggo Castle

 Special Free Art  teaches the students that already have Free Art can keep their points just by doing what is asked of them such as following the rules of the class and school together to maintain their points they are already have.  Most classes strive to earn the extra 5 points so that they may use supplies we do not have enough of for all the art classes. .
 
 We are kindly given a generous budget by parent fundraising, the addtional fundraising we do as art teachers and also what the student and I contribute eventually all the students I see receive this extra opportunity they Eventually I make sure that all classes get a chance to use these supplies at least once during the year. It is an unreal expectation that there is enough money between the teacher, students, parents and the school to expect 300-500 students that rotate through my class each week to have an abundance of clay or watercolor paint and watercolor paper. 

Having  a choice based art week is something I want to do more of.  I will be writing about how we can make that work in the art room, what it would look like and the many reasons it helps students to be independent thinkers, helps show students they are the artist and I am there to help them facilitate how to express their ideas through different mediums they might not have otherwise been able to do before.  

Collage in progress




October Free Art Week, we made 3D seasonal crafts and now there is a center that was requested by the students added to the centers and is the upcycle table!  I was pleasantly surprised (understatement) that the students enjoyed our lessons in upcycling so much they wanted to permanently add it as one of the centers during free art or technically called (choice based education.)  

 The November Free Art and the December Free Art both fall near holidays so we will be doing a Giving Thanks project in November and a handmade gift to wrap and take home for December.  

Students, 

BRING YOUR RECYCLING ROLLS!