Do you deal with disrespectful students and general low engagement in the art room? If you just raised your hand, you are not alone. There have been a flurry of advice-seekers in our facebook group recently that are struggling with this very problem. So what’s an art teacher to do?
An effective classroom management plan is necessary yet sometimes our plan is not clearly defined or easily attained. In fact, we may start the year with a great plan only to have it waver. Students test the system and soon you find yourself immersed in a situation that isn’t benefiting anyone.
The first thing we might do is try new strategies: a new reward system or a new games only to find the class back where we started.
When practical solutions are no longer serving you, it helps to take look at what’s going on in your own head:
Here are some questions I used to ask myself when I felt a bit threatened in my class:
1. Is it my ego talking or is this student truly evil? Another way of saying this is: Have I looked for solutions for this problem or justifications of my feeling? 2. Am I qualified to help this student? Have I reached out to my peers or admin for assistance?
3. Is my art room set up in a way that meets the needs of this particular group of students?
