for grades 2-5, i have a "portfolio" that the kids can work from when they have
some free time or are done with their assignment. basically, it's a piece of 12x18
inch manila paper stapled on 3 sides to a piece of colored 12x18 construction
paper, making a pocket that the kids can keep finished and unfinished work in.
we make them the first day of class and use them until the end of the year. by
using certain colors for certain grades (yellow for 5th, etc.) i can keep them
organized. i also have the kids names, teacher, grade, and table name written on
the front so they're easy to pass out and collect, plus i keep them in a certain place
that kids are familiar with and can access themselves.
i will occasionally put in a word search that i make on puzzlemaker.com (careers
in art, famous artists, etc.). i will sometimes put in mini-project like "make a
pyramid" or "create a plaid", which are self-explanatory, short things that they can
work on. they can also decorate the front and the back of the portfolio. so there's
almost always something they can do. if i know that i'll be doing something that
will have kids finishing at different times, i'll put something new in the portfolio.
i also have a box in the back of the room with around 250 different drawing ideas.
the kids pick one, get a piece of manila paper, and draw the idea. (ex. you have
been transported to the year 3000. draw what your classroom looks like in the
future. use the entire paper.) so if they have absolutely finished everything in the
portfolio, they can always draw using ideas from the box.
the previous poster suggested a rubric, which is also a good idea. if you can
create a rubric for each project, you can photocopy it and have them glue it on the
back of the project. that way, they can self-check before they come up to you and
ask if they're done. if they're not, you can refer to the rubric. that puts
responsibility back on the student and not so much on you.
as for putting the head down and crying...that might (or might not with some kids)
be an opportunity to model the correct response for receiving "no" as an answer or
receiving criticism. that might be something to go over with the whole class
before even starting a project. you could show the kids the right way to handle
that situation and then have them role play and practice. let them know the
expectations for that situation and when it occurs later, you can refer back to the
modeling, again shifting the responsibility back to the student.
good luck!
On 3/23/08, artchr wrote:
> On 3/22/08, Lola wrote:
>> It's funny that I log on and find a similar question just a
>> few posts below.
>>
>> I'm totally in a bind and would love anyone who has
>> experience!
>>
>> I am working in a K-5 art group and having a lot of
>> difficulty with students pacing themselves. I usually run
>> into the following problems:
>>
>> 1. Some kids finish early, and truly are ready to move
>> on...It's the same kids, every time.
>>
>> 2. I have rushers. These are the real kickers! They quickly
>> fly through the assignment and are asking me, "What now?"
>> only to rush through that assignment as well. I also find
>> these are the same kids that when I ask them to go back or
>> rework something or slow down, they instantly become
>> frustrated and put their head down and cry.
>>
>> Oh my lord, it's making everything so difficult! Is there
>> anything you can suggest to combat these situations?
>> Especially with the little ones? I'd prefer not to spend
>> most of my time trying to find something else other than
>> the assignment to do!
>>
>> Thank you for any and all advice!
>
>
> I give criteria for the assignment based on their grade
> level. (Example: The picture must have a complete background-
> make the sky "touch" the grass, and don't leave any white
> paper.) Then I can refer to the criteria when they ask, "Can
> I be done?" They might not like it, but this tends to slow
> them down, and get better results.
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