Middle School Classroom Management

How do I manage behavior in the art room?

This is a tough question!  Especially in the art room, if you don’t have solid classroom management, you can’t get much done.  Middle school students can be difficult to manage.  I have found great strategies in the book…

 Ultimate Classroom Control Handbookby Dave Foley

It is set up to truly be a handbook, with every possible student misbehavior and what to do about it.  Middle schoolers are special, and this author knows exactly how to appeal to their need for peer approval and independence.

Behavior Management Topics Include:

• Making seat assignments
• Using peer pressure to improve behavior
• Dealing with disruption
• Working with parents
• and SOOO much more!

Seriously, for less than $10, this book is a must for every middle school teacher!  It is an older book, the last I checked, there aren’t a whole lot of new copies still out in circulation.  Get it by clicking on the image below:

I would love to hear from anyone who has bought the book and is using it in their classroom!

Get it here:

Ultimate Classroom Control Handbook

Gridded Self Portraits

Middle School Self Portrait Lesson Plan

Just want to share what we are currently working on…

Self Portrait Procedures

1. Students take selfie with phones
2. Upload selfie to our online platform (my district uses Edsby)
3. I ran each photo through PicMonkey and posterized and cropped
4. Print photo as 5×7
5. Provide students with photo, 10×14 paper and ruler
6. Students create 1/2 inch grid on photo and 1 inch grid on drawing paper.  Show students how to create notches at the top and bottom, and use ruler to connect and draw a straight line.  Get ready to pull your hair out, maybe drink some extra coffee this morning 🙂
7. Demo how to transfer photo to grid.  I suggest students start at the top or bottom and work their way across each box, one row at a time.  You will have some students who ignore this suggestion and will try to start by drawing the outline of their face, then bounce around all over the place, then become upset when they have to start all over again.  Maybe drink extra coffee this day too!
8. I like to provide choice within a project, so students had the option to use sharpie, colored pencils, and/or markers.  Some students chose to keep the posterized look and show value in their faces by using different colors, others used more of a Chuck Close look and created patterns in each box.  I love the variety we are seeing

For the PowerPoint I used to teach this project, click HERE

One Point Perspective Project

We just wrapped up a drawing boot camp.  I decided to use one point perspective as the culminating project.

Here is the Power Point I use for the entire Drawing Unit

MYP Perspective Rubric

 

Art Room Playlist

Here is my Spotify playlist. It has a ton of variety and the kids love it!