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Lesson Plans


rules/rewards

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Peggi Brewton (artsmart)
Thu, 4 Sep 1997 16:52:21 -0500 (CDT)

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I've only been teaching a few years, but this system has been working like
a charm for me...
there are only three rules in the Art room:
1. You must use your best manners (Yes, Maam; No, Maam; please, thank you,
raise your hand, etc.)
2. You must do your best work (no whining or crying, unless you've blood
somewhere...and no crumbling up or scribbling onto artwork - in art,
there's always a way to fix or change what you're working on)
and 3. Whisper; that way, if you have things to say, you can say them, and
for the kids who need quiet, they will have it. I make sure that they know
I will also follow these rules, and that it's oaky with me if they want to
whisper the entire time if they're excited about things...and they usually
are!

If I catch them following these rules, I pass out Art Monets (money I've
designed onto hot color copy paper - three to a sheet) Once a student has
earned 5 of these, they are allowed to come and spend it by buying art
supplies from my Art Monet basket. I keep lots of inexpensive packs of
markers, colored chalk, crayons, color pencils, art buttons [from the
button maker] and rolls of adding machine paper - they love these for
looooong drawings. (Sometimes I make sketch books from a couple sheets of
cardstock and 15 sheets of copy paper. I print out and copy a cool picture
for the front with a place for their name. Office Depot gives me price
breaks for the binder combs) I teach at a pretty low cashflow level of an
elementary school and I like that the students have a chance to get their
very own art supplies to create with. By year's end, I make sure that each
student has had at least one opportunity to purchase something from the
basket. (I also keep track of all the Art monets in a book (like a grade
book) I treat it like a bank book, with one exception: if they lose or
misplace (or Mom washes) an Art monet, I tell them that's it's just
invisible, but that they still have it on my books.

Works well, is fun, kids get supplies, I get many donations from people who
like the idea, so I don't spend too much of my own money. But, really, what
better way to spend my money than to help some would-be artists?

Peggi B.

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