Re: ? using desks vs. tables, and buying students' supplies.
Posted by wadel on 5/09/08
Have you tried surveying the "problem" classes to find out
what they would enjoy learning about most? A particular
medium, or artist, or project, etc.? I strongly feel that
students learn the best when they WANT to learn...i.e. plan a
lesson that's appealing to them, not just you. This might
just help control the broken-crayon syndrome that has attacked
your room! Also, many people on this board suggest taking
supplies away from the students if they choose to mistreat
them. I agree with this, but in your case, if they don't want
to work with the materials anyway, what's going to bother them
if you take them away? What, they just won't have anything to
break and throw at eachother. I'd say you really need to tap
into them..find out what makes them tick and go with that.
It's unfortunate that it's the end of the year...but you can
always use that approach next year!
About the desks, I teach in MANY different classroom settings
(I travel) where I have tables in one and desks in another.
Desks are great because you can manipulate seating
arrangements, unlike tables. One of my classrooms is all
desks, and I group them into 6 different groups. If one
particular student is a problem, I'll have him rotate his desk
out of the group and put it up against a wall. this helps
tremendously! I travel to my second graders' classrooms, and
they just sit in their normal classroom desks, in rows or
whatever. They use their own supplies (which sounds like you
want to have them do) and it works fine. Sometimes it can be
challenging when they have to share my "artsy" supplies, but
we make it work. Again, desks can move! If you think it will
work better for you, then I say go for it. You can always
have each class move the desks to the best situation for their
individual class. The good ones get groups of desks; the bad
ones don't. The best of luck to you!
On 5/08/08, Cherie wrote:
> On 5/08/08, Finishing Year One, Prepping for Year Two wrote:
>> I don't have any real answers, but I do have children at
> desks now and I hate it. They are k-2nd graders. First of
> all, I have the problem of the height of the desks. The
> Kindergardeners have a real hard time sitting at a desk that
> is suitable for a 2nd grader. This means they are on their
> knees and are constantly pushing the desks around. I have
> them in groups of six so they can share supplies. How would
> you organize supplies for your desks? I don't have 30
> baskets for each desk. I can identify with your problem,
> just some things to think about.
> Cherie
>
> I teach at a small private school - 17 elementary classes
>> once per week, and three secondary elective classes daily.
>> Most classes have between 17-20 kids, whom I seat at four
>> tables. This works all right for elem classes, but not well
>> with secondary. Most of my secondary students do not like
>> art. They never want to do any kind of art. They elected it
>> because it's supposedly an easy A. =oP They talk, talk,
>> talk, which is fine with me as long as they talk quietly
>> and do some kind of art while they talk. @@ But some of
>> them also like to just destroy materials, make messes...
>> Also several elementary kids are careless with the
>> supplies, too - leaving caps off of markers and glue
>> sticks...
>>
>> Our principal does not want the students to have to bring
>> their supplies with them from their classroom. We spend so
>> much on a very limited budget - just buying pencils and
>> crayons, etc. that get horribly abused. I know it sounds
>> like I have poor classroom management skills, but I'm
>> actually extremely organized and love Harry Wong, etc. I
>> planned out careful rules and taught procedures, and use
>> consequences for abusing materials, etc. It doesn't help! I
>> walk around and monitor closely, but I still can't prevent
>> them from breaking the crayons, etc. They don't care about
>> the crayons. "It's just a crayon." And they don't care
>> about grades. And detentions don't phase them, either,
>> smirk smirk. I've had many days where I've sworn I won't
>> teach art next year! My degree is in middle school English,
>> Soc Stud.
>>
>> ANYWAY - sorry for my vent. If I do teach art next year, I
>> would like to use desks. Is this crazy? I'd like to arrange
>> them in rows, so everyone is facing the front of room, and
>> has their own defined work space. And I want everyone to
>> have and use their OWN supplies, so that if they break
>> things or leave caps off, I can send a note to Mom and ask
>> for replacements for them. And my "good kids" won't have to
>> endure broken, used-up supplies. =o(
>>
>> I'm hoping my principal will let me add a $15 "art
>> supplies" fee, and I can save everyone a LOT of money and
>> time by ordering 300 sets of supplies for elementary
>> students. I'm afraid she won't want me to use desks, but
>> it's so hard to use the same set-up with kindergartners
>> that I use with seniors every day. The seniors would be so
>> much easier to manage/teach in desks, since we study art
>> history, etc. as much as hands-on art.
>>
>> Am I just venting here? Does anyone have
>> thoughts/experience to share? Or would you like to join my
>> vent?? ;o)
Posts on this thread, including this one
- ? using desks vs. tables, and buying students' supplies..., 5/08/08, by Finishing Year One, Prepping for Year Two.
- Re: ? using desks vs. tables, and buying students' supplies., 5/08/08, by Cherie.
- Re: ? using desks vs. tables, and buying students' supplies., 5/09/08, by wadel.
- Re: ? using desks vs. tables, and buying students' supplies., 5/09/08, by khric.
- Re: ? using desks vs. tables, and buying students' supplies., 5/09/08, by an art teacher.
- Re: ? using desks vs. tables, and buying students' supplies., 5/09/08, by Joy Jordan.
- Re: ? using desks vs. tables, and buying students' supplies., 5/11/08, by dt in tn.
- Re: ? using desks vs. tables, and buying students' supplies., 5/14/08, by aquarose.
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