I agree that if students cannot choose to use materials
properly, they'll lose them. I tell them that I can teach them
what they need to know with just books and writing assignments
if they can't handle using materials properly/safely. So far,
just mentioning it works. I've given individual students
reading/writing assignments to earn my trust back, but have
never had to do this with an entire class. But I have books &
will do it if I have to! (Though I'd hate it too, but would
hate it worse to have them abuse materials.)
I don't tolerate throwing of any kind in the art room - and
establish that expectation with students from day one. It is
not a safe classroom if anything is being thrown. This is
probably the ONE thing I am MOST picky about, because I know
the potential. (One day crayons, the next day a pencil in the
eye..)
I handle it in class before contacting an administrator, but I
don't hesitate to send a student to the office if they are
making my room an unsafe environment! In grades K-5, if they
throw something & I see it, they are immediately in a no-art
zone (either put their head down at their desk after I take all
supplies away, or if I have room I'll move to sit alone without
materials. Even if it's a minor throw. I also send a note
home to parents (using a simple form). On the form, there's
space for the student to sign, homeroom teacher to sign, and
parent to sign. I keep a small portion so I can keep up with
it. (Homeroom teachers appreciate being informed). If the
behavior continues, I ask an administrator or the homeroom
teacher if they will support me by keeping the student out of
art until they're ready to make different choices. This has
worked well in all my schools.
If something is thrown & I don't see who did it and the person
fesses up, I acknowledge them for being honest, but still send
a note home & let them know that the whole class won't suffer
for it. I do from time to time find broken pencils at the end
of a day or week. But it's so few that I haven't had to make
it an issue (but will if I need to).
Since you don't know for sure your culprits right now, maybe
you can set down some ground rules & ask kids to help the whole
class earn privileges rather than lose them by helping you
isolate the few who are doing it. This has worked for me too.
(We don't just want a bunch of tattle-tales, but fairness so
that the class can have a chance to earn privileges. Hopefully
you'll find out early who are the few that will test you & be
consistent in doing what you said you'd do. I would think
they'll catch on pretty fast that it's LAME to sit & do nothing
so they'll make better choices.
Best to you. (sorry so wordy)
On 5/07/08, gwynnetx wrote:
> do you know which kids are actually breaking your materials?
it can't be all of
> them, and i always hate punishing the whole class for
something that certain
> students are doing. if they're breaking materials, they
should not get to use
> them. period. and once i could prove little johnny was one
of the culprits, i
> would be calling little johnny's mother pronto.
>
> you could put crayons/colored pencils in numbered baggies or
some other kind
> of container and have the kids check out the baggies from
your desk (or
> wherever). have a list of the baggies showing the number and
what's in the
> bag. then check them at the end of class, before the kids
leave, to see if all of
> the crayons/colored pencils made it back in one piece. i
would also talk to the
> classes beforehand so that they know what's going on, that
you will be able to
> identify the culprits, and that there will be consequences.
>
> kids will usually be much more careful if they know that they
will be held
> responsible for turning in exactly what they checked out.
i.e. you will know they
> are the ones breaking things. if a kid is still
not "encouraged" to be careful, then
> i would be calling home and that kid simply wouldn't get to
do art. and he or
> she just might "pay" back the cost of the items by cleaning
the art room during
> his or her recess time.
>
> do you have class rules posted somewhere? one of mine
is "respect the
> classroom materials." if you don't follow the rules, you
don't get to use them.
> and it's also there in black and white, we go over them the
first day, i talk about
> what that looks like, etc. students can't say they didn't
know!
>
> and as for those forms, i would go down to whoever's office
and stand there
> until he handed me the forms. don't wait on him; obviously,
he's not going to
> do it.
>
> On 5/06/08, PA Teacher wrote:
>> I am so happy that I am not alone. However, I have even
>> more of a problem. My students, 4-8 do not know how to
>> respect supplies. They throw crayons at each other. I
>> replaced the crayons with coloring pencils. Some of the
>> students began breaking them and throwing them at each
>> other. I have had it with those kids. When the pencils are
>> gone and the paper is gone, that's it. I will not replace
>> anymore supplies with my money. BTW this is not public
>> school, it's a charter school. Whenever I tell their
>> classroom teacher about their behavior, they tell me I
>> have to write it. I tell the disciplinarian and he said he
>> will give me the forms I have to fill out and never gives
>> them to me.
>> I am suppose to motivate these children, but how when I am
>> NOT an art teacher. I have little to no trouble with Pre K
>> to grade 3, but 4 to 8 is a big headache. I am counting
>> the days until June 20.
>
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