Saturday, August 31, 2013

Kindergarten Kindness Quilt

At the start of the year I plan projects that enable me to assess students' baseline skills. I always aim to reinforce larger learning concepts from the classroom in the art room as well. This year I was able to do both with the creation of a kindness quilt.  The Kindergarteners begin the year learning how to behave positively in the school community.  The story The Kindness Quilt touches on the idea of being kind to others.  In the story, the school children design quilt squares that show acts of kindness.  I decided to have my Kindergarten students to the exact same thing.  
The project was great because I was able to assess drawing, coloring, cutting, and pasting skills.  The students enjoyed creating their quilt squares and were so excited to see them assembled into a large paper quilt. Our Kindness Quilt is a wonderful visual display in the Early Childhood building that will serve as a reminder of kind behavior throughout the school year.


Friday, August 16, 2013

SmockTip #7- Don't Underestimate the Power of Posters


As the new school year starts, I want to share a simple classroom management strategy with you.  I spend a lot of time at the start of the year teaching my students procedures within the context of the larger art lesson.  I have found it very handy to make posters of classroom procedures. I model the desired behavior, display the poster, and then I am able to refer back to the poster throughout the school year.  A simple and effective strategy : )