Journal Entry #9

Journal 9: In Kalin’s chapter, we are given some suggestions for creating a safe (physically, emotionally, and socially) environment in which children can learn in, through and about art. Look at the guidelines on p. 154-55. Describe how you might address each of these guidelines with the child you will be working with.

I found this chapter very interesting because it talks about safety with elementary students in a classroom setting. It’s much easier to make a safe environment with only two kids (like in our workshop) than twenty kids (like in a classroom).

I’ve found it’s a really good thing to set limits at the beginning and to be very strict with warnings throughout the activity. If you are lenient with the kids before and during the activity, accidents can happen, but if the guidelines and safety rules are clear, children are more likely to be careful. If the rules and instructions are clear at the beginning, kids are also less prone to accidents and confusion

It’s important to have rules, for example kids putting their hands up and not talking while others (especially you, the instructor) are talking. I found the section on letting the kids help you set the rules very interesting. This is something that would absolutely work with only two kids, but probably wouldn’t work with twenty. I’ve found that if you as an instructor are clear with your rules, the kids will be clear with the rules. If you let the kids help you determine the rules, especially twenty kids, the rules are more likely to change or be a bit transient. The last thing I want to do when I only have an hour to teach an art project is spend half an hour arguing with kids over whether or not they can run with scissors. If the kids have questions, it’s better to explain and talk about the rules than let them have input into what they are. For example, it would be great to have each kid tell you a rule they think should be incorporated, but you as an instructor should have veto power and should have a list of predetermined rules you will be following, whether or not the kids agree.

Dealing with any misbehavior right away is also really important. If a child is repetitively rude or disrespectful and they are not dealt with, not only will they not take you seriously, but also other members of the class will think this behavior is acceptable. Personally, I think addressing the individual with both discipline and praise is important. Whether the child is misbehaving to get attention or not, he or she is likely to respond better to individual attention. The same goes for giving a child praise. If a child sees that you are praising their individual artwork, they will feel confident and happy. If you praise the general classroom, as Kalin suggests, children will feel better but like their individual artwork is not as important as their good behavior as a class.