Art as a Classroom Management Tool

Learning Through the Arts (LTTA) has been steadily gaining in popularity since its inception in 1994. "It is now the largest full school intervention program in the world, reaching more than 377,000 students in the last ten years," according to the LTTA website. And that's only counting the programs that are officially recognized as LTTA - there are more which use art integration without the formal designation.

I believe in the benefits of arts-infused learning. So much so that I abandoned homeschooling my children in favour of enrolling them in an arts-infused school 20 minutes out of town. As a soon-to-be teacher, I am confident enough in those benefits that I will be planning to infuse my everyday lessons with art.

But also as a soon-to-be teacher, something else has caught my attention about using art in the classroom. Using strictly anecdotal evidence, I am coming to believe that art can be a very powerful classroom management tool.

I have seen a teacher, who formerly had a class of kids who had difficulty settling down after each recess/ outdoor break, who now puts on some quiet music, and gives the kids ten or fifteen minutes of sketching time. That classroom is as quiet as any I've seen. And a peaceful quiet, I might add.

A friend of mine who used to run a home daycare quickly discovered that as soon as she had rowdy behaviour, pulling out the tub of Play-Doh was the music which soothed the proverbial savage beast. This was more than simply redirecting. Every mom of toddlers and preschoolers knows the beauty of redirecting. But most also know that when emotions are running high, energy begins to be used in negative ways - not just any old redirection will do. At times like that, if heading outside is not an option (the baby is sleeping, maybe, or you have lunch on the stove) - more often than not, you just grin & bear it. Wait it out. But not my clever friend - she had an instant fix, and one which every player appreciated.

I have seen it myself, as well. A creative project is hands-on, giving an outlet for that energy. It is a deep thinking, authentic process, leaving little of a child's energy or attention for mischief. Very much like inquiry learning, it is something which thoroughly engages the student, leaving no opportunity nor need for disruptive behaviour.

So curious was I about this connection, that I thought I'd take a look for supporting research. Mind you - here's my disclaimer - it was a little look - just a quick ten or fifteen minutes search of the research - but I don't readily see anything which directly addresses the issue. My interest is piqued. Perhaps I can find time to undertake a little research of my own.

In any case, I am eager to get to my next (and final!) student teaching placement, and to put that theory to the test in a classroom.

Now I will try not to leave the poor ol' blog for months at a time again ... see you soon.

Wakey, wakey! Rise 'n' Shine!

Yep, it's that time. Dust off the ol' keyboard, and nudge this blog out of hibernation. Well, when it's almost a year long, is it hibernation? No matter.

Several times lately, I've found myself in the blogging mood, but just waited it out and sure enough, it went away. But there comes a time...