A lot of people do not realize how much organization an art room needs! Here are a few things I do in my classroom to keep me organized and to maximize the time spent on making art.
I name all my tables after famous artists! It's easy for me to call tables up to clean up/line up/put their art away AND the kids enjoy the names because the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are named after some of these artists.
I always have paper covering my tables for easy clean up and it lasts a couple of weeks. Each table also has a box filled with supply, which is beyond helpful. I keep pencils, crayons, markers, glue, erasers, and pencil sharpeners in each box so I do not have to get out a ton of supplies every class.
I color code and label almost everything!!!!
I keep drawers for every grade. Besides sketchbooks, I usually keep unfinished projects and absentee work inside.
Grades 2-6 all have sketchbooks this year. It is important for the students to put their ideas on paper before they attempt a final drawing. In addition, students will be writing reflections, self-assessments, and more inside!
When a student is done with their project I usually send them to my "Done Early" section. It has cross-word puzzles, word searches, small project ideas, and plain white paper to keep students busy while the rest of the class is finishing their work!
Art books for the students to read if they finish early!
The BEST idea that I ever had was to separate my bulletin board letters into ziplock bags. I recommend this for every teacher!!
A few of my art files. I like to separate worksheets, assessments, rubrics, etc. I also have a file for animal pictures, artist information, and art club. This is very helpful when I need to find something quickly!
A peek at my room right now:) I like to say it's organized chaos in there, but I always feel good when my room is together:)
