A few weeks ago I wrote about four goals I have for this school year. One goal was to make materials more accessible for my students.
The image below shows how left my room at the end of the year and was taken before the fluff (cleaning and reorganization intended to make things bright and new). When I look at the image now I see materials that required reaching and a counter full of clutter.
I've always felt like my room looks “cleaner” with materials off the counter, but too often things get left in that open space anyway, so I decided to use it more intentionally.
TAB teachers call the way materials are stored in my room “buffet style” becaue students are able to see where materials are and take what they need independently. When I fluffed the room I decided to approach my setup like a true buffet and place items more sequentially. For acrylic paint this was palette first, then palette paper, then paint, so I put the palettes on the counter followed by palette paper in the hanging basket and paint above on the first shelf.
I also made a sign that address a few reoccurring issues: palette paper, paint quanity and cleaning brushes. Students often forget to put palette paper down first, then the paint dries and gets stuck to the palette. When students want to use acrylic paint I ask then to look at the sign to see how to set up their palettes.
I always think about making everyone feel welcome in the studio and added to my room decor, especially the artwork I chose to display, with that intention.
I hope your school year is off to a good start. 🙂